Twins of Darkness
by Crystal7
Summary: Another AU. What if Luke and Leia were raised by Vader? Very long. Please R/R! (finished!)
1. Default Chapter

1 NOTE: I do not own Star Wars, etc. I am simply a fan. This fan fiction is also being rewritten but you guys can at least read this one. Please R/R.  
  
2  
  
3 Twins of Darkness  
  
Part One  
  
Amidala screamed as she pushed. She had felt pain of course but this was ridiculous. She knew Obi-Wan was waiting for her on Dagobah and she couldn't let him down. Nor could she let her children down. They needed her. They needed her to be strong, to survive.  
  
"Push, Amidala. I need you to push." The doctor informed her.  
  
"I can't," she rasped, "I can't." She was out of strength. She had been in labor for nearly seventeen hours now. She just couldn't do it anymore. She was tired.  
  
"Come on Padme I know you can," her husband said.  
  
Amidala looked at him. He wasn't really her husband anymore. He was this thing. A machine. He was a living machine. "No," she whispered. He wasn't supposed to be here. This wasn't right.  
  
"Padme you have to." Vader replied, his patience stretching thin. He loved his wife, dearly and it was extremely important that she bring these children into the world. More importantly she needed to live.  
  
"No," she was hot and cold now, "Your not supposed to be here." It was all over. Her children were supposed to be hidden from their father. He wasn't supposed to know that he had children, ever.  
  
"Amidala push!" The doctor yelled. He knew, in his heart of hearts, that she wasn't going to make it. She was too weak, the pregnancy had been difficult and now the birthing was even worse.  
  
She knew she had no choice. Even if she wasn't going to live, even if she wasn't going to raise her children she needed to bring them into the world, the deserved to live. Despite their father's sins. She pushed with all her might and soon heard the cry of a little baby.  
  
"It's a girl." The nurse informed them.  
  
"On more, Amidala, just one more."  
  
Amidala soon heard another cry join the first one. "Its a boy!" The nurse cried.  
  
Amidala reached out to hold her children. "Luke," Amidala whispered, "Luke and Leia  
  
Skywalker." she was felt so weak. She was so very weak.  
  
"Padme?" she heard Anakin say. No not Anakin she corrected herself. Vader. "Padme? Don't die oh please don't die."  
  
She turned to him for a final time. "Like you even care," She wanted to take it back, despite all he had done, she wanted to tell him that she loved him. Just one more time, just one last time. But it wasn't possible. It just wasn't possible.  
  
"Padme-"  
  
"The name's Amidala." she said as coldly. She masked her emotions. She wanted to cry for him to hold her but she couldn't do that, not after all that had happened.  
  
"Padme, please."  
  
Amidala stared at his dark mask. If she had been staring into the face of Anakin she would have cracked, smiled, said she loved him. But he was Darth Vader now. A man she would hate even after death. This man had taken her husband's place. This man was evil. This man was stealing her children.  
  
"Padme, PLEASE." he begged one final time.  
  
She knew it was to late. He knew it was too late. Amidala released herself into a place that had been pulling on her for the last three months.  
  
Vader stared at his wife as she took her final breath. 


	2. Chapter 2

Part one continued…  
  
  
  
Sixteen year old Leia Skywalker sat across from her best friend and listened to her drone on and on about her latest success. "Mara!" Leia cried exasperated. "I got it."  
  
"Sorry, Its just he's never praised me so much before."  
  
"Well certainly does approve of you."  
  
"Leia, what's going on?" Mara asked, somewhat concerned.  
  
Leia shook her head, "I don't know. I just have this bad feeling about my next mission."  
  
"Whose the target?"  
  
"Admiral Verars."  
  
"Verars? Never heard of him."  
  
"Well apparently he turned and is a serious problem for Master."  
  
"Where is he now?" Mara asked  
  
"Corellia."  
  
Mara laughed. Something bad always happened to Leia when she went near Corellia. "Tough luck. But at least it's not Alderaan."  
  
Leia glared at her. "That viceroy is creepy."  
  
"I don't know what you find so creepy about him he's more normal than most of the people we know."  
  
But Leia would never be convinced. "Well I better go home."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Cuz Father and Luke are getting home today."  
  
"Where'd they go anyway?"  
  
Leia shrugged, "beats me."  
  
"You mean you didn't know?" Mara asked in surprise.  
  
"Well it's not like my father tells me everything he does." Leia wished her father would tell her everything that went on, but he never did. And he never would. She just needed to get used to that.  
  
Mara shrugged, "huh. Well see you later then."  
  
Leia got up, "yeah, later." than she raced home. Down, around, and through the winding streets of Corscant to her home. She couldn't wait for a break. She raced through the door, "Father? Luke? You home?"  
  
Leia spun around as a door flew open, "Daughter." a sullen, deep voice said.  
  
"Father?" Leia asked cautiously. Something was wrong, very wrong. "Where's Luke?"  
  
"Gone."  
  
"Gone!? Gone where?" She asked.  
  
"Another mission."  
  
"Another one? Father, your running him wild," and it was the darn truth. Luke hadn't been home in months. All she wanted to do was to see her little brother.  
  
"He knows what he's doing."  
  
"I haven't seen by brother in two months, TWO months because you and Emperor Palpatine are running him all over the place."  
  
"Well that is our life, and its time you got used to that."  
  
Leia spun away from him, "Whatever."  
  
"Leia!" he called.  
  
Against her better judgment she turned around, "What?"  
  
"He'll be home soon."  
  
"Yeah that's what you said before." she snapped and walked away.  
  
Darth Vader stared after his daughter. She was so fighty and practically refused to give into hatred. He sighed under his black mask and plopped down into a chair. From the first moment he had held his daughter in his arms she didn't want any part of him. She refused, absolutely refused, to give into hatred. She had some kind of a natural blocking ability and it had taken all of his strength to turn her to the dark side. Even then she refused to cooperate. It wasn't until Palpatine had introduced Mara Jade to Leia that they begun to get some results. But even then she wasn't fully faithful to the dark side.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Leia threw some things into a suitcase. "Shavit!" she swore. She was so angry and frustrated. All she wanted to do was to see Luke. That was all. Was it so much to ask to see her twin brother?  
  
Though according to Father and Master it was. She slammed her suitcase down. Great another trip to Corellia. Something bad always happened to her when she went there. First time she went there some horrible Jedi kidnapped her. She had been nine and that had been what had ingrained in her soul that the Jedi were terrible people.  
  
"Time to go." she mumbled to herself. Oh how she hated this. She stormed out the door.  
  
"Where do you think your going?" Father asked.  
  
"Corellia. By order of Master." Leia snapped back.  
  
"Well see you later," Vader said. He wanted to do more for her. Hug her, tell her that she had his support and loyalty, anything.  
  
Leia slammed the main door behind her and mumbled, "Whatever." 


	3. Chapter 3

1 Part one continued…  
  
  
  
Luke Skywalker stared down at him, "Where do you think your going?"  
  
The Rebel spy simply stared at him and stuttered, "I---I---"  
  
Luke almost laughed, "You rebels really are so pathetic."  
  
The Rebel simply looked up at him, "Your mother didn't think we were."  
  
"Excuse me!?" Luke cried, his anger jumping up several notches.  
  
The Rebel glared at him again, "YOUR mother is the one who started the rebel after all."  
  
That did it. Luke began to choke the rebel, through the force, to death. After he cracked his neck, Luke let him fall. "That will teach you to say treacherous things about my mother." But this wasn't the first time someone had said something like that about his mother. He was always hearing whispers about how Darth Vader's wife had started the Rebel Alliance. Father always said it was hogwash.  
  
Well there wasn't much he could do about it now. His mother was dead, killed by the Jedi, and she would never be able to deny those awful lies. Now all he had to do was get inside the Imperial Compound and take out the traitor Imperial. There were so many of them these days. He really didn't know where they were coming from.  
  
Luke ached to see his sister. He missed her so much. She was his crutch at times when he  
  
needs one. When they were little they used to stay up all night in her room and play holos and steal food from kitchen. But Father never really cared. So long as they stayed true to the Dark Side he didn't care what they did.  
  
Luke also missed that crazy red head named Mara Jade. She was also a comfort to him at  
  
times. Though those times were far and in between. They very rarely got along and sometimes he wondered where she had come from.  
  
Luke shook his head. It was not time for thoughts like those. He needed to get out and finish his job so he could go home to his sister. Probably, when he got there she would be gone or he would be whisked away again. Father didn't like them beginning together for too long. He often wondered why. Luke shook his head again. I must complete this mission first. He told himself. Mission first, thoughts later.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Darth Vader watched as his little girl jumped into her speeder and took off. What a mess. She was so angry all the time but somehow she was always teetering on the edge of goodness. She's too much like her mother. The memory of Amidala's death still burned in his mind and soul. The way she had died was bad enough, but she had practically told him she hated him. He had never been very good with emotional pain and the emotional pain she had given him was more than he could bear.  
  
He had told his children that the Jedi had killed their mother in cold blood, but for some reason only Luke seemed to believe it. Leia had her serious doubts about their mother's death. He had, and still has, serious problems with that girl. All he and the Emperor had had to do was touch Luke's mind and he was turned to the Dark Side but not Leia. Oh no, they touched her mind and she resisted them. It was amazing. She had some kind of natural blocking ability that allowed her to block things she didn't want in her head.  
  
By the time she was two she was starting to weaken, but only a little bit. That's when the  
  
Emperor came across Mara Jade. He decided that maybe if Leia had two playmates who were turned to the dark side than maybe she would too. It had taken months of time and patience but finally they had managed to warp her but still not completely.  
  
At five Darth Vader hired their first droid nanny and began to train them in the ways of the Force. Luke and Leia were easy to train and at five, they had the capacity to think like an eleven year old.  
  
At eight The Emperor had begun to work with them and train them separately, by the time they were nine they were learning to be assassins.  
  
They were the youngest assassins in the entire galaxy. Luke had done his first mission by the time he was only ten. Beginning a little boy it made it easy for him to get in and out of places and through security.  
  
Leia, on the other hand, hadn't started working until she was thirteen. Leia had had doubts about assassinating people and sometimes she had conflicting emotions. But despite all these conflicting emotions and other things Leia was an excellent assassin.  
  
Vader sighed. He really didn't know what he was going to do with her. If she ever turned back to the Light Side, he and the rest of the Empire would be in for it. The problem was she was always so close. She was in that small gray area between darkness and lightness. 


	4. Chapter 4

1 Part one continued…  
  
  
  
Leia sped down to Vader's private landing pad. There were only three ships there. Her father's personal small craft, Luke's small ship, and her small ship, Lightsaber, were there.  
  
Her fighter Lightsaber was one only made for two. It had a pilot's seat and a co-pilot's seat. It also had two rooms, one for the pilot and one for the co-pilot, as well as a small cargo area.  
  
This was her life. Like it or not this was her life. She chucked her suitcase in the small pilot's room. She wouldn't need anything she packed. She never did.  
  
She sat down, with a huff, in the pilots seat and headed off to Corellia. She sat there watching the starlines. It wouldn't be more than a day for her to get there and so she had all this time to reflect.  
  
Reflect on her loss of a mother, no real childhood, becoming a deadly assassin at an early age. She remembers having this vague, faint memory of screaming and a woman saying, "Your not supposed to be here." Her father always said it was a dream but Leia wasn't so sure. She believed strongly in her father but she knew he was never very honest with her.  
  
Father had never been honest with her in his entire life. He said that the Jedi Knights had killed her mother in cold blood but Leia knew, she KNEW, that that wasn't how her mother died.  
  
Luke always did what Father and the Emperor did. She was more resisting against them.  
  
Though lately, she had been doing more and more for the Empire.  
  
She didn't know why. She never really participated in any real Imperial affairs. Usually she was just going places and learning information on people and killing traitors. Even now she still questioned what the Rebel Alliance stood for. She knew that they hated the Empire and wanted to return to the ways of the Old Republic. But why? Towards the end there had been no compassion in the Republic and it was as corrupt as Hutt. Granted Imperial Leaders were often unreasonable and their rules a bit unfair but why not simply protest. Why did they have to break out the guns and begin killing innocent Imperial Citizens? She would never truly understand.  
  
Several Hours later, Leia pulled out of light speed above Corellia, "God I hate this planet." she mumbled. She never liked coming to Corellia and she never will. She would never forget the time she was kidnapped by a bunch of Jedi Knights and they tried to get her to join them. Shaking her head she managed to get permission to land. By now Admiral Verars was probably alerted to the presence of an Unknown Ship.  
  
She walked down the streets and found her way into a club. She had a few hours to kill before she killed Verars. She saw an empty stool at the bar, she was too young to drink but with her talents if she really wanted booze she could trick the bartender. It wasn't too hard; she'd done it before.  
  
She smiled, knowing that every man was watching her walk by in her black pants, black shirt, black boots, and her hair sophistically wrapped up on her head. She always dressed as sexy as she could. Despite how much she hated it, she knew it got her what she wanted and usually attracted the men she was sent to assassinate.  
  
Smiling, she walked over to the stool and sat down next to a dark, handsome man. She knew that in about five seconds he was going to introduce himself and ask to buy her a drink and he did. "Name's Lando. Lando Calrissian. What's yours?"  
  
Leia turned to him, still smiling, "Leia Skywalker," Usually she used an alias but no one knew who Leia Skywalker was. Granted there were rumors that two young ones who lived with Lord Vader were his children, but there was no definite proof. People sometimes thought her and Luke were charity cases but that wouldn't work since many of the same people considered her father a murderer.  
  
"Can I buy you a drink?" He asked. He was slick and smooth; probably used to getting what he wanted or anyone he wanted.  
  
"Hm," She said thinking. She had already decided that she would let him wait it out but for extra measure she gave it a few seconds, "Sure."  
  
"What'll have?"  
  
"I'll have a Corellian Rum," Leia told him. It was a strong drink but she knew that she could have at least two before she was sloshed.  
  
"Corellian Rum?" Lando asked, "Like a woman who drinks like I do."  
  
She smiled, "I bet you do." In fact she knew that he did.  
  
Another man came over and clapped his hand down on Lando's shoulder, "Lando give it up, your probably twice her age."  
  
Leia smiled and surveyed the new man. He was a lot more handsome than Lando. He wasn't as slick and not nearly as smooth. He was more rugged and hand a rebel-without-a-cause sort of attitude about him.  
  
Lando set his drink down, "This is Leia Skywalker."  
  
Leia stuck out her hand and shook the new man's, "Names Solo. Han Solo." He said introducing himself.  
  
Despite herself the first thing that popped into Leia's head was, 'how could a man like you be Solo?' But she bit her to keep from saying it. Instead she smiled, "So what do you boys do for a living?" She asked when Han sat down on the stool next to her.  
  
"I am a smuggler and Lando's trying to make it big."  
  
"What do you do?" Lando asked.  
  
Leia thought for a moment, "I'm a dancer." Not the most glorious thing in the world but it worked. She was attracted to Han. She didn't know what it was but she was attracted to him.  
  
"Dancer?" Han asked, "No offense sweetheart but you don't look like a dancer."  
  
Leia narrowed her eyes at him, "Well no offense but you don't look like a smuggler."  
  
Han was intrigued, "What do I look like than?"  
  
"Like a bum." Leia said and turned towards the door, she almost chocked on her Corellian Rum when she saw who entered. What the hell was Luke doing here? "Excuse me boys." She headed over to him, "Luke!" she cried.  
  
Luke's mouth dropped, "Leia!?" He was as stunned to see his sister as she was to see him.  
  
Leia smiled and moved to hug her brother, "Oh god Luke I've missed you!"  
  
Luke hugged her tightly, "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Taking care of some Imperial business."  
  
"Me too."  
  
"Luke, what kind of business?"  
  
"Well what kind of business are you doing?"  
  
Leia sighed. This always happened when one of them was asking about the other's assassination job, dropping her voice into a whisper Leia said, "I'm on the hunt for Admiral Verars. Now you."  
  
"I am," Luke's voice dropped several notches, "Hiding out with some rebels and taking care of them. I should be done within a few hours."  
  
"Give me a few hours." Leia said dryly. "So I'll see you back at home?"  
  
Luke nodded, "I'm just here looking for a Rebel friend." Then glancing back over her shoulder he said, "Looks like somebody is digging into you."  
  
Leia didn't turn around. She didn't want Han or Lando to know that they were talking about them. "Don't I always?"  
  
Luke gave a small chuckle and then kissed her cheek, "bye sis."  
  
Leia gave him a weak smile, "Bye." Than pausing she decided to return to her bar stool, "I'm back."  
  
"What was all that about?" Lando asked.  
  
"None of your business, that's what."  
  
Han laughed, "You are one sassy character."  
  
"Your not so bad yourself." Leia said with a smile. She glanced at the clock above the bar, still a few hours or so and she should be good to track down the traitor Imperial. "Well boys, where are your manners?"  
  
"Manners?" Han asked, "Lando doesn't have any manners."  
  
"I'm sure you don't either." Leia said with a huff and got up and walked over to a table where a handsome looking fellow, who'd been staring at her since she got in, was sitting. "Hi there."  
  
The man's mouth literately dropped, "Hi."  
  
"Mind if I sit down?"  
  
"Not at all."  
  
And so Leia sat down. Just then the man surprised her by asking her if she wanted to dance. Leia gave him a grin and let him lead her out onto the dance floor. She wasn't up much on her hip hop and she knew that would give Solo enough information to come call her on her bluff of being a dancer.  
  
Only a few minutes into the dance, Solo interrupted and took the man's place, "You know for a dancer you sure don't move very well."  
  
Leia nearly slapped him, "I was dancing with someone if you don't mind."  
  
Han looked over his shoulder to the man and his new dancing partner, "Seems to me like he's found somebody else," Leia felt awkward, sensing this Han put both his hands on her hips, "Here, like this."  
  
Leia got a jolt when Han touched her. It was a strange sensation, one she had never felt before. She liked it. Han moved her on the dance floor and soon she had it. They both laughing so hard. The dancing didn't tire her out at all. Han's hands hadn't move from her hips and she didn't want them too.  
  
It seemed like only a few minutes went by and when she looked at the clock, hours had passed, "I have to go!" She said, urgently.  
  
"Why?" Han asked. He tried to hide his disappointment. He had never had so much fun with someone before.  
  
"Pressing business," was the only answer she could give him. After that Leia excused herself and left. She flipped open the data pad with her instructions. It contained a map of the Admiral's home, the fact that his death was supposed to look like a suicide, and she was supposed to destroy the data pad.  
  
She already memorized the layout of his home. She threw the data pad into the water and  
  
walked over to the Admiral's home. Okay the man had a wife, who was also a Rebel. She was just supposed to disappear. She snuck into the yard and hurried off to the back where she spotted the balcony that led to the Admiral's bedroom.  
  
Using the force, she managed to jump up onto the balcony. She stopped and listened. The light was on, but she heard no sounds and felt no presences. Leia pushed aside the curtain and peeked in. Then she felt that they were down in the kitchen having dinner. It was the middle of the week, so the servants were gone for their one night of freedom.  
  
She crept down stairs and heard a woman's voice, "Darling, I don't really understand this. The Empire is horrible why don't you just leave."  
  
"I told you already, if you want to help the Rebels fine but I will not be a part of it anymore." A man's voice, the admiral's obviously, said.  
  
"I thought you would say that," came the woman's reply.  
  
Leia wasn't one for weapons, besides her lightsaber. It had to look like a suicide and that's when it dawned on her to choke him. Using the force, Leia reached out and choked both the Admiral and his wife. She came around the corner and saw both their bodies lying there. Leia smiled. Another mission perfectly accomplished.  
  
Leia fixed her black gloves and picked up the Admiral, with a little help from the force, and moved him over into the living room. She then set up a rope and hung it from the beautiful chandelier. What a shame to have to ruin such a beautiful object. She then hung the Admiral inside of it.  
  
Than Leia hurried over and lifted the woman up. She was supposed to make the wife disappear. But how? Leia had come here on foot and there was no way she would be able to get away with carrying a body down the street.  
  
Leia remembered the flower garden out in the back. If Leia made it seem that Mrs. Verars had left of her own free will no one would think to dig up the yard. Leia rushed outside and quickly buried the woman's body under the garden. Than going back inside Leia wrote a note, which was supposedly from Mrs. Verars, telling her husband that she had left him for another man. She then dropped the note on the floor, beside the dead Admiral Verars.  
  
Than something caught her eye. Alcohol. Perfect. Leia thought. She grabbed a bottle, which looked really new, and dumped half of it in the sink. She than pored some of it into a glass and set it on the table in front of the dead Admiral.  
  
"Mission accomplished." Leia said with a smile. Suicides and Speeder Accidents really were her best jobs. She looked around one more time to make sure that nothing would hint that another person was here and headed back up to the bedroom. This was her favorite part, raiding the widow's stuff. She always felt a little guilty about it but this time she felt miserable about it.  
  
Leia hurried over for the Jewelry box and dumped it and some clothes into one of Mrs. Verars suitcases. There would be not doubt in any investigator's mind that Mrs. Verars had left her husband as a result he killed himself.  
  
Leia hurried down the balcony, out of the yard, down the road, and back to the place where she had dumped her speeder. 


	5. Chapter 5

1 Part one continued…  
  
  
  
Luke Skywalker stared at the band of pitiful rebels, in five minutes a donator was about to go off, leaving them all dead. "Admiral if you don't mind I'd like to get a breath of fresh air. Its really stuffy in here."  
  
"Of course."  
  
"Thank you." Luke said and walked out of the warehouse. 'Leia' he called out with the force, 'mission is completed come pick me up.' Luke watched as the explosion came, smaller than he had expected, but it came.  
  
Luke stood waiting for his sister; luckily he didn't have to wait long, "Leia thanks."  
  
Leia watched as her brother hopped into the speeder and the rushed off, "I take it I'm giving you a ride back to Corscant."  
  
"Darn Shootin'." Luke looked in the back seat at the luggage labeled 'Madame Verars' "Madame Verars?"  
  
"She and her husband were my mark."  
  
"Ah. I see. I see. I see."  
  
Leia drove the speeder to the docking bay and if it hadn't been for her force skills she never would have gotten the luggage past security. Hopping into the Lightsaber, Luke to the pilot's seat. "What makes you think your piloting?"  
  
"Cuz we need to make a stop at Chandrilla first."  
  
"What are we doing on Chandrilla?"  
  
"I need to pick something up for Father at his palace there."  
  
"Oh." was Leia's only reply. It would give her a chance to look at something she kept there, something important.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Emperor Palpatine sat, with a huge smile, spread across his face, his little pieces of art. They were absolutely brilliant. Leia especially. Granted, she often fought off his and her father's influence over her but once they broke that barrier, even for a few seconds, anyone who got in her way was destroyed.  
  
He was so happy that Darth Vader, his loyal apprentice, had brought them to him. At first he was just going to kill them, so that they couldn't influence their goodness over their father but than he had the splendid idea of making them his apprentices as well.  
  
Luke Skywalker could give into anger easier than his sister. Luke was more obedient, had the greater skill for altering his image, and was good with a blaster.  
  
Mara Jade could lie easiest to people without the force, dance and sing better which was good when she was using an alias, and was best with a blaster. Mara was also graceful in her work and best at getting behind enemy lines.  
  
Leia Skywalker, often called Lady Vader, was better than Mara and Luke put together. She was graceful, wonderful with a weapon, silent when she did her work, used the force more than the other two, and best at covering up her work. If only she would give into the dark side more often.  
  
That's the problem, the Emperor thought, is that Leia has this natural blocking ability, this power he had never seen before and wished, more than anything else, that he could control that power. Something he feared that she had inhertired from her mother. Her mother had been so strong willed. He thanked the maker everyday that Queen/Senator Amidala had died giving birth to her children.  
  
Keeping the Skywalker twins apart was his main goal. When those two got together they both teetered on the edge of the Light Side. Once a Jedi Master said, 'once you start down the dark path forever will it dominate your destiny.' It was true with him, Lord Vader, Mara Jade, and Darth Maul. Why wasn't it true about those two? That was something he would never learn, he was sure, was why when they were together they were close to the Light Side. Again, he feared it had something to do with their mother.  
  
"I must put a stop to this." The Emperor concluded. He would have to have one of them  
  
knocked out, but which one? They both had extreme talents and than there was the problem of finding someone to kill them. "Soon. Soon I will have control of all them." All he needed to do was find out how to control them. He knew he was close. He just didn't know when or how he would.  
  
Leia was a tough problem for him. She, somehow, remembers her birth and mother's death. She was the best of his assassins but she was also his biggest problem.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Leia threw open the doors of one of her father's many palaces, spread throughout the galaxy. "So what are we looking for?" she asked.  
  
"A data pad and six data cards," was Luke's reply.  
  
"About?"  
  
"I'm not sure."  
  
"You don't know what their about?"  
  
Luke shook his head, "There supposed to be in the top draw of the desk in the library."  
  
"Alright, well while you get those, I'm going to pick something up from my quarters."  
  
Luke nodded, "Sure."  
  
"I won't be long," Leia promised and hurried off. She went up two floors to her room. Room wasn't really the word for it. Apartment was more like it. She had a small lounge, bedroom, bathroom, study, and tiny kitchen. She hurried into her study and picked up a small gold chain, hidden in a secret compartment she had built under the carpet and the floor. Seeing the chain brought tears to her eyes. On the lobster claps were the initials A.S.  
  
A few years ago she had run into a woman here on Chandrilla who had given it two her. That had been so weird, she never would forget that day. She had been eleven and it was her first trip to Chandrilla.  
  
flashback  
  
Leia was walking down the street, enjoying the peaceful and quite nature of the planet when a woman grabbed her arm. "Oh my god, it cannot be her highness' daughter."  
  
"Who are you?" Leia asked a bit frightened.  
  
"A friend of your poor mother," the woman had answered. The woman wasn't creepy, old, or ugly. She was rather attractive and still quite young, but she still frightened Leia.  
  
"What's your name?"  
  
"Mon Mothma."  
  
Leia had heard her father say that name more than once, but never in relation to her mother, "What do you want?"  
  
The woman dug in her pocket, "Take this." She handed her a gold chain, "It belonged to your mother." The woman looked around quickly, "Do not tell your father I gave this to you or that you ever met me." And with that she was gone.  
  
end flashback  
  
Leia sighed. She knew this chain had been her mother's. Somehow she just knew. She had never mentioned it to her father nor had she ever taken the chain out of the Chandrilla palace.  
  
"Leia!" Luke called, interrupting her thoughts, "Are you ready?"  
  
Leia took a second to recompose herself, "Yeah!" She called back and placed the chain back in its hiding spot. She hurried down the stairs, "Are you ready?"  
  
"Yeah I got what we were looking for."  
  
"Great, well lets go."  
  
Luke studied her for a moment, "Did you get what you were after?"  
  
Leia shook her head, "Its not here. I probably brought it with me before and left it at a different palace."  
  
"Did you want to stop by and pick it up?"  
  
"No, we'd better just get home."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
Leia thought for moment, "yeah, lets just get out of here."  
  
In a few minutes they were back in Leia's ship and on their way home. Or at least that's what they called it. 


	6. Chapter 6

1 Part one continued…  
  
  
  
Mara stood outside the Emperors Throne Room. What did he want her for? Another mission perhaps? No that wasn't it. When it was a mission he was calm about it. He had been a little frazzled when he contacted her, which she had found strange. Mara shifted from one foot to another as the Imperial Guards stood there telling her that she could go in after the Emperor was finished with what he was doing now.  
  
The doors opened and Grand Moff Tarkin came hurrying out, smiling from ear to ear with  
  
happiness. Mara gave him a strange look and headed in, "You called my Master?"  
  
"Yes, Mara Jade. I have a proposition for you." Emperor Palpatine answered.  
  
"A proposition, Master?"  
  
"I need the Skywalker twins as distracted from each other as possible."  
  
"Forgive me, Master, but what does this have to do with me?"  
  
"Everything, you are going to seduce young Luke Skywalker."  
  
"Seduce him? Master, no offence, but Skywalker would never fall for it."  
  
"Yes he will my young apprentice."  
  
"But Luke-Luke's my friend."  
  
"You have NO friends." The Emperor snapped, "Dark Lords and Ladies do NOT have friends."  
  
"Of course Master."  
  
"What about Lord Vader? What should happen if he discovers this plan?"  
  
"I will handle him, you just take care of young Skywalker."  
  
Mara bowed her head, "of course, my master." And with that she left and hurried home to her apartment. She was there in only a matter of minutes.  
  
Mara Jade sat down on the plush sofa of her small apartment of Corscant. What problems. The Emperor had just informed her that she needed to do all that she could to keep the Skywalker twins apart. How was she supposed to do that? Master had suggested that she seduce Luke, that way he'd be too involved with her to even care about Leia.  
  
No, there was no way that Luke would fall for it. Luke was too smart. He would never fall for her. Mara had never been romantically interested in him and this sudden interest would make him suspicious and what about their father? What would Darth Vader do to her if he uncovered this plan?  
  
Mara shuddered at the thought. Lord Vader was very protective over his children. Granted, he let them fight their own battles but any time some one gave an ultimatum against them, Vader took them out. What am I going to do? She pondered. She was in such major trouble here.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Leia Skywalker hopped down from the ship. She couldn't wait to go home now that her brother was with her. But Luke seemed preoccupied. "Luke what is it?" Leia asked, concerned.  
  
"Nothing," he said, distracted.  
  
"Luke I know you and I know something is wrong, what is it?"  
  
Luke shrugged, "I don't know just this feeling I have."  
  
"And you don't know what it's warning you?"  
  
"It's warning me that someone's going to hurt you or me."  
  
Leia raised her eyebrows, "Okay granted your feelings are often right and such but please, Luke, between Father and ourselves no one can touch a hair on our pretty little heads."  
  
Luke still wasn't convinced, "I don't know."  
  
Leia sighed, "Luke, you must always trust your feelings but I highly doubt that anyone is trying to destroy us. Many have tried, and because of Father they've failed."  
  
Luke nodded, "It doesn't chase away this feeling I have."  
  
Leia knew that she could never chase away any feelings or premonitions her brother might be having but she could help him work through them, "Come," Leia said, taking his arm, "We'll go meditate."  
  
Luke nodded, "I suppose meditation may help me see just what I'm feeling."  
  
Leia smiled slightly, "Yeah, it just might, now come on."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Darth Vader bowed before his master, "Yes my master?"  
  
"Grand Moff Tarkin has brought to me a layout plan for a super weapon named the Death Star. It can bring destruction to any planet and travel through hyperspace. I want to bring construction right away."  
  
"Master?" Vader asked, not entirely sure what this had to do with him.  
  
"You will travel with Grand Moff Tarkin to build this super weapon."  
  
Vader was stunned. Whatever he had been expecting it hadn't been this. What about his  
  
children? But he knew better than to argue. As if sensing his thoughts the Emperor said, "You children will be safe in my hands Lord Vader."  
  
Vader bowed, "Of course Master."  
  
"No wgo. You leave tomorrow."  
  
Vader bowed again, "Yes my Master." And with that he left. How was he supposed to leave his children behind? Who knows what someone may do to them. Vader shook his head beneath the dark helmet. His children were fine. They didn't need him and they wouldn't turn to the light side while he was gone. Everything would be just fine. But somehow he wasn't too sure.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"What do you mean you're leaving!?" Leia yelled.  
  
"Leia, the Emperor is sending me on a mission to build his newest super weapon."  
  
Leia glared at him, "What about us?"  
  
"You and Luke will stay here and live as you normally have. Leia you've been basically on your own since you were thirteen."  
  
Luke shook his head, "So you're the Emperor's top guy and your being sent to oversee a  
  
construction of a ship?"  
  
"No, I am overseeing the construction of a major project and that is that."  
  
"What's the project?" Leia pushed.  
  
Vader stared at his daughter. He didn't dare tell her. If he did she would go running to Rebels with the information. There was no doubt in his mind that his daughter would be against it. Luke might agree to it, "Its not to be known at this time."  
  
"Yeah right," Leia said, sarcastically and hurried out of the room.  
  
Luke looked at his father, "Why? I'm not understanding this."  
  
"I don't know the full reasons behind it either but it is important that I do this."  
  
"Because it's what he wishes right?" Luke asked, sarcasm dripping from his words.  
  
"Basically," Vader said.  
  
Luke sighed, "And Leia and I are just supposed to run missions for Master while your gone?"  
  
Vader nodded, "Yes. Now watch over your sister."  
  
"I will," Luke said and watched as his father left.  
  
Luke headed up the stairs, "Leia are you alright?"  
  
Leia turned away from him, "Whatever."  
  
"Leia-"  
  
"Luke don't you dare defend his actions at leaving us like this."  
  
"Leia, he did it because that was Master wants him to do."  
  
Leia made a rude sounding noise, "Like I've said whatever."  
  
"Leia don't be so hard on Father."  
  
Leia spun on him, "Luke, don't start with me! Its always Master wants this and master wants that. Can't we just live our OWN lives?"  
  
"Leia this is OUR life. We've been living this way since we were born and you are constantly turning away from the dark side." Luke argued, "I would have figured your being kidnapped by Jedi would have convinced you enough that the dark side is the only proper place to be."  
  
Leia gave him a funny look, "I don't want to be an assassin for the rest of my life, Luke."  
  
"You won't be," Luke reassured her, "One day we'll train our children to be assassins."  
  
Leia groaned and stopped out of the room, "You need to get a clue!"  
  
"Leia!"  
  
"Luke leave me alone!" She screamed.  
  
Luke stared after her. What a horrible mess. His sister hated him but what else was new? She was constantly going on and on about how this wasn't the life she wanted. How did she know what she wanted? This was all they had ever known.  
  
Luke's thoughts were disturbed by a knock on the door, "Luke?" a quite voice asked.  
  
"Mara? What are you doing here?"  
  
"I just came to visit with Leia but she stormed out of here and said you were in the lounge so I figured maybe we could talk?"  
  
"About?" Luke said almost impatiently. Mara was Leia's friend, not his. Granted, they spent a lot of time together and often enjoyed one another's company but he wasn't Mara's biggest fan that was for sure.  
  
"I'm worried about Leia."  
  
"You and me both."  
  
"I mean she seems so preoccupied lately and she doesn't sound like she's taking joy in any of her work."  
  
"When did she start taking joy in her work?" Luke asked sarcastically.  
  
"True."  
  
"Look, I'd love to stay and chat but I've got some errands to run."  
  
"Okay."  
  
And with that Luke left. Mara shook her head; this was never going to work. Never. 


	7. Chapter 7

1 Part one continued…  
  
  
  
Leia walked down the street, she was angry, upset, and just plain mad. What right did Luke have to tell her what she should and shouldn't be feeling? He had no right. No right at all.  
  
She sighed and stopped at one of the Cafés that practically dominated Coruscant. "Hey all."  
  
"Leia," someone said, "It's about time you stopped by for some fun."  
  
Leia laughed, "I guess."  
  
Izellah smiled, "Leia, my girl! Where have you been?"  
  
"I've been busy."  
  
"Yeah I bet she's been busy. Hanging out with all those powerful men," a new voice said.  
  
Leia spun around and slugged the man behind her, "You'd better watch yourself, Zarek."  
  
Zarek smiled, "See Izellah, she's crabby."  
  
Izellah smiled, "Where's your bud Mara?"  
  
Leia rolled her eyes, "She's probably flirting with Luke."  
  
Izellah frowned, "What?"  
  
Leia sighed. How could she have forgotten that Izellah had a crush on her brother? "I mean-"  
  
"Too late now Leia," Zarek said, trying to hide a smile.  
  
Leia slugged him again, "Izellah I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been so stupid."  
  
Izellah shook her head, "Mara's been sinking her claws into your brother since she was five."  
  
"Mara doesn't like my brother. I just meant that Mara flirts unknowingly with him."  
  
Izellah sighed, "Whatever. It doesn't matter."  
  
Leia gave her a look that said, 'yeah right' and sat down at one of the tables. Izellah could have any guy she wanted and she wanted the one who was too busy to take notice of her. Izellah was gorgeous. She had dark hair and dark eyes. Leia shook her head, "Don't waste your time on my stupid brother."  
  
"I take it you two had another fight," Zarek said sitting down next to her.  
  
"Fight is an understatement."  
  
"At least you guys didn't throw chairs again," Zarek said, almost laughing.  
  
"Don't remind me of that," Leia said, groaning.  
  
Izellah chuckled, "You have to admit that was funny."  
  
"Oh okay," Leia said sarcastically, "How did I ever wind up with you guys?"  
  
Zarek laughed, "Beats the hell out of me."  
  
Leia smiled. They were so great. She never had time to hang out with them anymore. Zarek, Izellah, Hera, and herself were all kind of a group. Luke used to be but than he became an assassin. His job means everything to him. If only she could get him to relax and make him see that they still had years left before they became adults. "So..um.. where's Hera?"  
  
"You haven't heard?" Izellah asked, surprised.  
  
"Heard what?"  
  
"She's gone," Zarek said, softly.  
  
"Gone where?" Leia asked.  
  
Zarek sighed and shared a look with Izellah. "She left Coruscant to join the Rebellion."  
  
"WHAT!?" Leia screamed so loud, that the whole Café turned to their table.  
  
Izellah nodded, "Sad but true. Oh so true."  
  
Leia shook her head, "What-why-why would she do that?"  
  
"She believes in their cause," Zarek said softly, "She only told us about it because she knew that we wouldn't stop her."  
  
Leia shook her head, "I could've done something to stop her."  
  
"That's probably why she didn't tell you," Izellah said.  
  
"Probably." Leia looked at the Chrono, "Oh crap!"  
  
"What?" Izellah asked.  
  
"I have to go 'report' to the Emperor."  
  
"Have fun," Izellah said smiling.  
  
Leia hopped up, "yeah whatever." She rushed out of there and down to the Emperor's chambers. The doors opened and she walked in. Taking a deep breath she bowed down, "Master."  
  
"Young Lady Vader, I have another mission for you."  
  
"Yes my master?"  
  
"You are to travel to Alderaan to take care of your father's negations."  
  
"My father's negations?"  
  
"Yes, young one. Your father had a meeting set up with Bail Organa but he's got other things on his agenda."  
  
"Yes my master, but-"  
  
"You will find everything, I'm sure, in his office."  
  
Leia nodded, "Of course my Master."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Izellah stared at Zarek, "I can't believe you didn't tell her."  
  
"What tell her that were now 'officially' using her to feed information to the Rebellion? Yeah right."  
  
Izellah sighed, "I can't believe were doing this. If she finds out she'll kill us."  
  
"We're her friends, she wouldn't."  
  
Izellah shook her head, "Oh she would."  
  
Zarek stared at her, "She would wouldn't she?"  
  
"She's a hired killer for the Emperor. Do you know what she would do to us?"  
  
"True. We'd better get going. Bail's going to need all the support he can get this week."  
  
"How are we supposed to support him by just staying behind the scenes?" Izellah asked.  
  
"Very carefully."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Bail Organa watched as the Lightsaber, Lady Vader's personal, shuttle landed. It was hard watching young Leia Skywalker. She looked so much like her mother and it was  
  
hard to believe that he had almost adopted her. If only Darth Vader hadn't gotten in the way. If he hadn't gotten in the way Leia wouldn't be out there killing hundreds of people a year. "Lady Vader, we're honored by your visit and your presence."  
  
Leia, dressed in a black cloak, stepped off the ramp, "This isn't a courtesy visit Viceroy it's a discussion of your planet's place in the Empire and I do not intend to be here for more than a few days."  
  
"Of course my lady."  
  
Leia scowled at him, "Lets get this over with."  
  
"I trust you are staying in your father's home?"  
  
Leia nodded, "I will be back tomorrow to discuss this."  
  
"Of course."  
  
Leia headed away from the viceroy. Pitiful man. She knew, as did the Emperor, that Bail  
  
Organa was part of the Rebel Alliance but taking him out without any proof would be suicide. Her real mission here wasn't to discuss Alderaan's place with the empire, but rather to expose him as a traitor. She always got the crappy missions. Always.  
  
She hated the Alderaan house. It really was a house, not a palace. Bail and his three prissy sisters inhabited the only palaces here. So they had to settle for a manor. But that was that. She would, thankfully, only be here for a few days.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Luke Skywalker was not happy about this new mission. He sat down with a huff in the pilot seat of his ship, Invader, and stared out at the blank dock. Leia had a point. Their life really had no purpose except to please the emperor.  
  
No time for that now. Right now he needed to concentrate on his newest mission. He needed to take of a Rebel group. Why was it he always had to take care of the rebels?  
  
He just hoped that Leia was fine. She hated Bail Organa and he knew that she absolutely hated this newest mission of hers.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Leia rubbed her eyes. She was tired of this continuous argument. Winter, Bail's young  
  
assistant, was consistent in defending Alderaan against anything she had to say. Leia knew she needed to watch this one. This Winter person was dangerous, more dangerous than she appeared to be. "Look," Leia said, "I feel that Alderaan is not doing its share of push and shoves in the Empire. It seems to me that you are supporting the Alliance."  
  
"How could we be supporting the Alliance if we have senators in the Empire? You know how we feel about weapons, war, and traitors." Winter argued.  
  
"That means nothing compared to what you've been doing. Until I see you support the Empire in its battles against the Alliance you're considered a traitor."  
  
"Than I guess we're considered traitors because we do not support war." Winter said, her  
  
patience finally at it's last and with that she got up and left.  
  
Leia stared after her. She knew exactly how to find out what was going on. All she needed to do was pull one of Luke's "flashy" tricks. However, she didn't have the time for that. She just needed to get off of this horrid planet so she could go home. 


	8. Chapter 8

1 Part one continued…  
  
  
  
Mara Jade collapsed on the small couch that was in her quarters. She had failed. She had  
  
failed to seduce Skywalker and there was no way she would ever succeed. Even she didn't buy into her performances. He was nothing like his sister. She remembered when she first met Skywalker.  
  
flashback  
  
"Luke Skywalker this is Mara Jade."  
  
"Hello," Mara said softly.  
  
Luke shyly waved his hand, "Hi."  
  
Mara walked up to him and yanked hard on his hair.  
  
end flashback  
  
It still brought smiles to her face. She still, to this day, had no idea why she had pulled at his hair. She remembered when the Emperor introduced them, formally, introduced them.  
  
flashback  
  
"I remember you!" Luke had cried.  
  
"Yeah I seem to remember you too."  
  
"Your that little girl who pulled out my hair." Luke had said.  
  
Mara laughed, "Good memory."  
  
"Why did you do that?"  
  
Mara shrugged, "Seemed like a good idea at the time."  
  
end flashback  
  
"Oh those were the days," Mara said, sadly. What had happened to just hanging out and  
  
annoying each other? The Emperor's lust for blood, that's what. She sighed. She had bonded with Leia much easier than she had with Luke.  
  
flashback  
  
"My name's Leia, what's yours?" The three-year-old Leia Skywalker had asked.  
  
"I'm Mara Jade."  
  
"Nice to meet you Mara Jade. So where are you from?"  
  
"I reside with Emperor Palpatine and he takes care of me. What about you?"  
  
"I live with Lord Darth Vader and I am his daughter, Lady Vader."  
  
"OH! So you're Lady Vader. I always pictured Lady Vader as his wife."  
  
Leia shook her head, "No my mother died a long time ago."  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
Leia shrugged, "Life goes on."  
  
end flashback  
  
That's when Leia had really started to show signs of darkness. It was all Mara's fault, the whole lot of it. 


	9. Chapter 9

1 Part one continued…  
  
  
  
Leia Skywalker packed up some of the processions Luke wanted from the Alderaanian Manor and headed out. "Lady Vader we are sorry to see you leave so soon." The Viceroy said.  
  
"Stuff it Viceroy." Leia snapped and headed for her speeder outside the Manor.  
  
"Of course Lady Vader."  
  
Leia spun around, "You know something. What I don't understand is why you are always so interested in my life and by business."  
  
"Because you were supposed to be my daughter." Bail Organa said.  
  
Leia narrowed her eyes at him, "Be careful old man."  
  
"No seriously, Lady Vader. Your mother was going to entrust me with your care."  
  
"You have some nerve, you know that?" Leia snapped and climbed in her speeder and headed off. What right did he have to tell her such things? The gull of that man to tell her that her mother, the great queen of the Empire, was going to entrust him with her care. That was absurd. Her mother believed strongly in the cause of the Empire. She would never have left her in the care of that silly, stupid Viceroy. Never.  
  
Padme Skywalker was very happy with the Empire. She loved the cause very much and would have done anything to stop the Alliance from winning any battle against the Empire. She support Palpatine's cause more than anyone, even her father, had. Padme was known as Lady Vader, long before Leia was, and was very proud of that title. She would have given anything for the Imperial cause. Anything.  
  
Leia stopped her speeder at the spaceport. Off she would go to Corscant and there, she was certain, she would find that her brother was gone. It always happened, when she left for a mission her brother would go on one too and his missions always took longer.  
  
She missed the old days. When it was just her, Father, and Luke. When they were still little, before the Emperor had turned them into hired hands who made no money. They went from palace to palace and planet to planet. They saw the whole galaxy.  
  
flashback  
  
"Father where are we going this time?" Young Leia asked.  
  
"We are going to Ithor."  
  
"Ithor?" Luke asked, "Why?"  
  
"Why not?"  
  
Leia laughed, "Ithorians are funny."  
  
"Why's that?" Father asked.  
  
"They don't believe in using wood or eating living things."  
  
Luke shrugged, "That's just the way they do things."  
  
"I suppose. It would be fun to learn about them too." Leia reasoned.  
  
"Of course they will be Daughter." Father said, placing a hand on her shoulder, "It will also be a good place to train in the force."  
  
Luke made a face, "Hey I have a question. The Ithorians don't like us why are we going there?"  
  
"To make a point Son. They have to realize that we are good people in this and the Rebels are the bad ones."  
  
Leia thought for a moment, "But the Rebels are just fighting for what they believe why is that horrible?"  
  
"Its horrible because they are fighting for the wrong thing." Luke argued.  
  
"But it's not wrong to them. Didn't someone once say that our Mother fought for something Father didn't agree with?"  
  
"That's different." Luke argued back.  
  
"How?"  
  
"Alright, Children, that's enough of that. We have to get going if we are to keep our schedule."  
  
"Of course father." The children chimed in together.  
  
end flashback  
  
So things weren't all that different. She missed her mother. She couldn't remember her mother. She had died pretty much before her time. But she still missed her.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Darth Vader relaxed in his private chambers. He knew that somewhere Leia was missing her mother. She always was. He had told Leia that Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi had killed Padme. That's the way Leia and Luke were raised to know it and that's the way they would always know it. He didn't want them knowing any different.  
  
He had lied to them so many times and in so many different ways about their mother. He had described her, as the queen of the Empire, loving, hated the Republic and believed strongly in Palpatine's cause. The only part of that description that had been true was that she was loving. Amidala Padme Skywalker was his angel.  
  
flashback  
  
"Are you an angel?" Young Anakin Skywalker asked the mysterious woman.  
  
"What?" was her reply.  
  
"An angel. The live on the moons of Iego, I think."  
  
end flashback  
  
Amidala was his angel. How he missed her. He wished there was something he could have done to save her. He would have given his life her in a heartbeat. He just wished that she could have believed that.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Obi-Wan Kenobi stretched out with the force. He could feel Leia's frustration, Luke's hate, and Vader's heartbreak. "Oh Ani why didn't you just listen to her?" He asked himself out loud. Anakin had given into the dark side and it had been his entire fault. If only he had done something to save Anakin from temptation.  
  
Obi-Wan still didn't know how it had happened. It just had. There was no explaining it. It had happened so fast he and Amidala hadn't had a chance to help him or stop it from happening.  
  
His final battle with Anakin had lead to disaster for Anakin and heartbreak for Amidala. After he had defeated Anakin in a lightsaber duel Amidala had broke to him the news about her being pregnant.  
  
flashback  
  
"Obi-Wan I'm pregnant."  
  
"Pregnant? But Amidala how can that be?"  
  
"Right before he turned my child was conceived, apparently."  
  
"Okay. I'm going to take you to Master Yoda. He will know how to help you."  
  
"Obi-Wan that just cannot happen. I know that you and Master Yoda are going to want to take my child from me."  
  
Obi-Wan thought for a moment, "Children."  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"Your having twins, honey."  
  
"Twins? How do you know that?"  
  
"I can tell with the force." Obi-Wan concentrated for another moment, "One boy and one girl."  
  
"So I suppose your going to take them away from me and split them apart."  
  
"It would be the safest thing. If Anakin were to discover that you are having his children Amidala the havoc he would cause. He would either kill them or turn them to the dark side."  
  
"He wouldn't!" Amidala exclaimed in her husband's defense.  
  
"Search your heart Amidala. Look at the pain and destruction he had caused in the short time he's been with Palpatine. He would and he will."  
  
Amidala sighed, "I give. Alright well what do you want me to do?"  
  
"I will take you to Master Yoda and we will decide where to put the children."  
  
"I know exactly where to put them." Amidala said with a realization.  
  
"Where?" Obi-Wan asked, his curiosity at the max.  
  
"Owen and Beru Lars want a child of theirs so much and Viceroy Bail Organa said if I ever need help he was there for me."  
  
"Well you two grew very close while you were a part of the Senate."  
  
Amidala nodded, "Yes. And the stronger of the children, in the force I mean, will be placed with Owen and Beru. Owen make dislike you because you took Anakin away from his mother."  
  
"That's not nearly the half of it."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
Obi-Wan sighed. "Owen believes that Shmi died out of despair. And that despair was caused by me when I took Anakin away from her."  
  
"But you didn't take Anakin away from her. Qui-Gon did and besides Shmi wanted the best for her son."  
  
"I know. She only wanted what was best."  
  
end flashback  
  
Obi-Wan pondered this memory for a second. Amidala's twins were causing mayhem all over the galaxy. Leia and Luke were powerful assassins for the Emperor, very powerful. He needed to stop them. He knew that it wasn't time yet. Not nearly time but he wanted so much to just stop it.  
  
Patience. Obi-Wan reminded himself. Patience. Master Yoda was insistent that everything takes its course naturally. Obi-Wan was growing frustrated, even in his old age. Master Yoda was powerful and could stop Palaptine in his tracks without a problem but he didn't. Yoda was intent on making sure that Luke Skywalker was the one to stop Palaptine, just as Luke was meant to do. But what of Leia? Master Yoda had never shared that piece of prophecy with him.  
  
Emperor Palaptine would soon realize that Obi-Wan was alive and would send one of his  
  
assassins to take him out. Obi-Wan had been waiting for sixteen years for Palaptine to realize he wasn't dead. Only a little while longer. "Yes. Let nature take its course." He mumbled, "Let nature take its course."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Emperor Palpatine felt that strange tingly sensation run through his bones again. He'd been having that feeling for sixteen years and didn't know what it was. It happened every now and then. It had started when Vader brought his children before him.  
  
flashback  
  
"My Master." Vader said, bowing before him, "I have brought you two new apprentices."  
  
The Emperor glared at him, "What is this my friend?"  
  
Lord Vader glanced down at the two infants, wrapped in cloth, on the floor beside him. "These are my children. Luke and Leia Skywalker."  
  
"Ah. And you wish me to train them." The Emperor said. A sudden tingly running up and down his brittle bones. It made him cold and warm at all the same time. He glanced at Darth Vader and knew that he wasn't feeling anything.  
  
end flashback  
  
He knew it had something to do with Vader's children, he just didn't know what. He pondered it for a second. Someone was testing him, seeking information on his assassins. He had concluded that long ago, but whom? Every Jedi Knight, Padawan, and Master had been killed by either Vader or himself. Jedi Master Yoda had been the only real threat to him and he had died of old age.  
  
Or had he? The Emperor pondered this for a few minutes. Yoda had been out of contact with the force for almost two decades. He was dead. There was no other explanation to this. Yoda could have taken him down in a single sweep. The Jedi Master was dead, he had to be.  
  
And that's when the truth hit him, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. Kenobi had disappeared from site and the feel of the force but he had never been killed. Now that he thought about it, it made perfect sense. But Kenobi surely would have returned to face of his old apprentice and to save the children. There was just no way Kenobi would have allowed them to warp the children to the darkside. 


	10. Chapter 10

1 Part one continued…  
  
  
  
Leia Skywalker landed her ship with ease. She couldn't wait to go back to the palace and feel the peace and quite of her home. A nice long bath would do her good. Her comlink beeped, "Yes?" she groaned.  
  
"His majesty the Emperor requests the presence of Lady Vader." A voice said.  
  
"Toke, its nice to talk to you too."  
  
"Always a please Lady Vader." CLICK.  
  
"Sarcastic little-" Leia mumbled. What did he want with her now? Climbing down the ramp she hurried to the Imperial Palace, "I was told his highness wishes to see me?"  
  
"Go right in." A guard, one Leia did not recognize, told her.  
  
"Thank you." Leia said and hurried in. She dropped to her knees, "Master."  
  
"Rise young Skywalker." He commanded.  
  
Leia rose to her feet, "You requested my presence your majesty."  
  
He nodded, "I have a mission for you."  
  
"What is it my master?" Leia asked.  
  
"I wish for you to hide with the Alliance."  
  
"What?" Leia asked, not understanding. What did he want that for? She was too valuable to spy on the Alliance she knew this. Why didn't he send Mara or Luke? "What do you want me to do? Get close to Mon Mothma, you will be able to destroy her."  
  
Leia's voice shook as she replied, "Mon Mothma?"  
  
The Emperor nodded, "Yes Mon Mothma."  
  
Leia felt numb. It couldn't be. It just wasn't possible. It couldn't be the same woman who gave her her mother's necklace. "Master?"  
  
"The Alliance must die. And I fear that the only way to destroy them is from the inside out."  
  
"But Luke-"  
  
"This is too big a job for your brother young Leia. Go and do not defy me."  
  
Leia bowed, "Yes my master." And with those final words she walked out of the throne room. The Alliance? Her? How? Why? Questions floated through her mind. Destruction from the inside? What did he mean by that? She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath.  
  
flashback  
  
"Daddy, why is the Alliance so bad?"  
  
"Because, daughter, they want to destroy us."  
  
Seven-year-old Leia shook her head, "I don't think so."  
  
"What do you mean by that?" Vader asked, confused.  
  
"They are just standing up for what they believe in. Just like you did when you destroyed the Jedi."  
  
Vader was, well, stunned. "Leia, standing up for what you believe in is very important but they are going about it in a horrible way."  
  
Leia studied her father for a moment, "Did mother always stand up for what she believed in?"  
  
Vader took a sharp breath, "Yes Leia, she always stood up for what she believed in."  
  
end flashback  
  
For some reason that conversation between father and daughter suddenly struck a nerve with her. She didn't know why. She shrugged. Better start packing.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Luke Skywalker stared at the hologram of his father. How he missed the days when they were younger and simply children. Their father was just like any other father and now his mission was simply to please the Emperor. What had happened? It had been such a sudden and dramatic change that neither him nor Leia had understood just what had happened. Something on his desk beeped and Luke hit the switch, "What?"  
  
"What a wonderful way to greet someone." Mara said.  
  
"Sorry." Luke mumbled, "I was just thinking about the past?"  
  
"Oh. Am I part of it?" Mara asked, teasing.  
  
"Some of it."  
  
"Well some is better than none." She paused. "You want to join me for dinner or something. We haven't talked in a long time."  
  
"We're talking now."  
  
"Oh you know what mean."  
  
"Do I?" Luke asked, now teasing her. She and him had been somewhat of friends when they had found the time.  
  
She shook her head, "I'm serious Skywalker."  
  
"Yeah I suppose I could squeeze you into my schedule."  
  
"Great so um… You'll meet me at The Crystal?"  
  
"The Crystal?" Luke asked. The Crystal was one of those fast moving dance clubs. "Why do you want to go to The Crystal? I thought you said we were going to talk."  
  
"We can talk there."  
  
Luke thought for a moment, "Yeah I'll meet you there."  
  
"Great." Mara said and she switched off the comlink. She hurried over to her closet and pulled out a long white dress. She couldn't believe this was happening. She was actually, on the Emperor's orders, going to seduce Luke. Leia would kill me if she knew. Mara thought. Oh well. I have to put my job first. The job is always first.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Leia slammed the door shut. Well this Mon Mothma woman must not know what she looked like anymore so all she needed to do was give herself one of her alias. Or perhaps a new alias might work best. Yes a new one might just be best. But what sort of name should she give herself? Leia shrugged. She was a quick thinker.  
  
"Leia is that you?" She heard her brother call.  
  
"Yeah Luke its only me!" She cried back. He would have a fit to know that she was going on another mission, especially if it involved the alliance. Best not to tell him just yet.  
  
Luke came pounding down the large, elegant staircase. "Well I just thought I'd let you know that I'm off."  
  
"Off where?"  
  
"To The Crystal."  
  
Better drop the news now, "Luke I'm leaving."  
  
"Leaving?" Luke asked, "Where?" He was startled. She had just got back from a mission. The Emperor never ran them that ragged.  
  
"On another mission. I don't know where." She lied.  
  
"Leia you're lying to me. I can feel it." Luke said. What was she trying to hide from him?  
  
"Luke please don't cross examine me, okay? I just need to pack a few things and get going." She kissed him on the cheek, "I love you."  
  
"Leia-"  
  
"Luke I mean it all right? I will be fine." And with that she headed up the stairs.  
  
Luke shook his head. He was really worried about her. He knew she could handle herself but he was still worried. He just couldn't help but be worried. That was his job as her brother was to worry about her. Oh well. He thought. She'll tell me when she's ready. 


	11. Chapter 11

1 Part one continued…  
  
  
  
Leia Skywalker landed her small ship, disguised of course, outside of some spaceport on  
  
Tatooine. Here she was to meet some contact to take her to the Rebellion. She walked several miles before actually coming into the spaceport. She saw aliens of all kinds of races and people with all kinds of purposes.  
  
She heard arguing behind her and turned around, in doing so she walked straight into a man. "OOF!" she cried as she fell.  
  
The man stared down at her, "Watch where your--Leia!?"  
  
Leia stared up into the face of Han Solo, the cocky man she had met on Corellia, "You  
  
remembered my name." Was all she could say.  
  
He helped her up, "Of course I did. You are one person I will never forget."  
  
Leia nodded, "And I will never forget you, Han Solo, or your cocky side- kick Lando."  
  
"Lando was hardly a side-kick." He replied.  
  
Leia nodded, absently. She needed to find her contact. "Well it was nice seeing you again but I really must go."  
  
"What's the rush, Sweetheart?" Han asked remembering how she had just sprinted off on him back on Corellia. Obviously she made it a habit.  
  
"I haven't got the time to explain." And then as if compelled by some force she kissed his cheek. "Maybe I'll see you around." And then she left him standing there, stunned, in the streets and headed into the nearest Cantina.  
  
She spotted a woman sitting in the far corner with her head down and hurried back there.  
  
Speaking low she said, "Zia?"  
  
The woman didn't look up, "Bianca?"  
  
Leia sat down, "Lets skip the chit chat and get straight to business shall we?"  
  
"Of course." The woman said lifting her head.  
  
Leia's mouth dropped, "Izellah!?" She hissed. "Your with the Alliance?"  
  
"Leia?" Izellah's eyes swept hers for a moment, "You were going to destroy the Alliance from the inside out weren't you?" She accused.  
  
Leia's anger got the best of her and with the force she began to choke Izellah, "You are going to take me to the Alliance do you understand?" She released her grip on the girl.  
  
Izellah shook her head, "Never."  
  
"You want to kill yourself and your unborn child?" She asked, sweetly.  
  
"What unborn child?" Izellah asked, "I'm not pregnant."  
  
Leia shook her head, "Yes you are. Barely. But you are." She was a tad bit surprised though. Who could possibly be the father? Izellah was certainly not easy, or so Leia had believed. Must be a Rebel Commando she realized.  
  
Izellah's eyes widened and then she narrowed them, "Your lying!"  
  
Leia raised her eyebrows, "Do you really want to take that chance." She knew Izellah like the back of her hand, or at least she used to, she knew that Izellah wouldn't take that chance."  
  
Izellah shook her head, "I will not let you destroy the Alliance, even if it costs me and my baby."  
  
Leia began to choke her again, not enough to kill her, just enough to scare her. Leia wouldn't take the child's life. She might take Izellah's but the child's. "You and I are going for a little ride."  
  
Izellah stared at her. She didn't want to, but what could she do? Leia was obviously too cold to let her live because she was with child. "Fine."  
  
With that, Leia and Izellah left the Cantina and headed for Izellah's disguised fighter. "Very nice ship she commented." As her and Izellah bordered.  
  
Sitting in the pilot's seat, Leia said, "I have a proposition for you."  
  
"I'm listening." The other woman said, dryly. What could she do but cooperate?  
  
"You give me the coordinates for the Alliance and I take you to one of my little houses on some planet where you and your child will be provided for."  
  
Izellah reeled back, "What?"  
  
"You heard me."  
  
"And I will live in a fish bowl, right?"  
  
Leia thought about this for a moment, "more or less. Izellah don't tell me you'd be cold enough to kill yourself and the child would you?"  
  
Izellah thought for a moment, "And you would be so cold to kill an innocent child?"  
  
"Original sin, Izellah. Original sin."  
  
Izellah sighed. "Fine I will."  
  
"Good. Good."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Han Solo sat in the nosy, smoky cantina still stunned from the kiss Leia had given him. There was something so different and so strange about her. The name was also very familar.  
  
She didn't look at all like a dancer. She looked more like a freedom fighter. A gorgeous freedom fighter.  
  
And besides what would a woman like that be doing on Tatooine? There must be something in the data base. Ghynt was a good hacker and information finder. He should be able to dig something up. Yes Ghynt can help.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Your telling me there is nothing, nata about a Leia Skywalker?"  
  
Ghynt shook his head, "Sorry ole buddy. Nothing."  
  
"How can that be?"  
  
"Maybe it was an alias. You've used quite a bit of them yourself."  
  
"I have GOT to find her."  
  
"Got to?" Ghynt said, smiling, "This girl has got you hooked." Han simply glared at him. Ignoring Han's look, Ghynt asked, "Why do you need to find her so badly anyway?"  
  
For him Han had no answer. 


	12. Chapter 12

1 Part one continued…  
  
  
  
Darth Vader walked into his quarters on Corellia. His small apartment, his secret place. He lived a cold life and treated his children miserably but it couldn't be helped. He missed Amidala, his angel, his life. He wondered everyday why he had turned what had happened to him, why he had done what he had done.  
  
He lost everything because of it. He lost his mother, his wife, his friends, his Jedi Master, he had lost everything.  
  
He stared at the holo of his queen. The only one he had. He was so cold. He was a monster. Amidala, his Padme, had been right, he was a monster. He was a cold hearted monster. He had lied countless times about their mother in an effort to shield and hide his heart, his weaknesses.  
  
He loved his children and he had never told them so. He needed to remain strong, cold, and closed off. His children were secret. Secret to most of the highest Imperials. Only a selected few knew. He knew they had told a few of their friends, apart from Mara, the truth and he should be angry. But he couldn't be.  
  
He loved them so. His heart broke every time he was cold, every time they grew angry with them, every time he tried to turn Leia.  
  
Leia couldn't turn. She did at times and other times did not she was confusing and it was a confusing situation. She wasn't his little girl anymore, his little princess. She hadn't even known that she had been his little princess. And she may never know.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Luke Skywalker sat across from Mara. Her fiery red hair flying in the wind. He looked out at the Corscant skyline. Mara, at times, could be cold and other times she was soft.  
  
"So what did you want to talk about?" Luke asked.  
  
Mara searched out his blue eyes, "I don't know."  
  
Luke swallowed. This was an awkward situation for him. For her. They had been friends, off and on, for a long. From the beginning of time it seemed. "Have you spoken to Leia since she left?"  
  
Mara shook her head, "No, you?"  
  
"Nope."  
  
Mara swallowed, nervously. She was unsure of what was to do. She had asked him to join her for a drink and now she was unsure. She couldn't believe Palpatine wanted her to seduce him.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Leia Skywalker set foot on the Rebel Base. After dropping that traitor Izellah off she headed for the base.  
  
"You must be new." A red head told her.  
  
Leia raised her eyebrows. Be nice, she reminded herself. "How ever could you tell?"  
  
"Your just looking around, amazed."  
  
Yeah amazed at all the power you Rebels process, "Yes I guess I kind of was."  
  
"I'm Bria Tharen."  
  
"Leia Sexton."  
  
"Sexton? Are you Corellian?"  
  
Leia pursed her lips, "No. I'm--from the middle of no where."  
  
"Middle of no where?" Bria chuckled, "Sounds like fun."  
  
Leia sighed, "So where I'm a living?"  
  
Bria shrugged, "I'm not sure. Maybe I should take you to meet Mon Mothma."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Leia stared at Mon Mothma. Mon Mothma simply stared back. Leia knew her. Leia knew she was the one who had given her, her mother's necklace all those years ago. It was her. Leia had expected it of course, but the shock of it was still there.  
  
"Thank you Commander Tharen you are dismissed."  
  
Bria jerked back slightly. "Yes ma'am." And with those words she walked away.  
  
Mon Monthma put her hands on her hips, "If you think you are fooling me you are wrong, Lady Vader."  
  
Leia licked her lips, sighed, and looked away for a moment, "How did you know?"  
  
"I'm very sure you remember me, Leia."  
  
Rather than get angry, Leia was touched, oddly so. "yes I do. You claimed to be a friend of my mother's."  
  
"Never mind that, why are you here? You cannot possibly tell me that you are considering apposing your father's side of things are you?"  
  
"You know my family, and me, all too well. No I am not trading sides, to be honest I was sent here to kill you but now that I'm here I cannot do it. I see what an awesome power the Rebel Alliance possess and it frightens me so. I am here to kill and yet I cannot. You are not the blood thirsty monsters that I was told about. Rather you are a kind hearted people fighting for what they believe is right."  
  
"And you don't agree with our views."  
  
"I am not sure anymore. I've been here for only a short time, few minutes to be exact, and yet I feel so connected to all of you."  
  
Mon Mothma placed both hands on Leia's shoulders, "You are connected to us Leia. Your mother began this resistance and it would please her so for you to finish it. I will be watching you like a hawk."  
  
Leia jerked back slightly. They, or rather she, was accepting her? She had confessed to the woman, she didn't know why, that she had been here to kill her and yet she was insisting that she stay. "I love my father, my brother, and my friends but I cannot fight for a cause that I don't believe in."  
  
Mon Mothma nodded, "I will accept you, for now, but I will have people watching you like crazy. For now everyone will know you as Leia Sexton."  
  
Leia nodded. You said I can't play you and I played you like a musical instrument. "I understand. But why do you accept me when I told you I was here to murder you?"  
  
"You are like your mother. I trust you, at least at this point and time."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Leia sat around the small table while some rebels, she learned their names were Bria Tharen, Wedge Antilles, some annoying guy nicknamed Porkins, and a woman named Nefriti. They were playing sabbac and urging her to join in.  
  
"Are you kidding? I would whip all of you without a problem."  
  
Wedge laughed, "I doubt it."  
  
Leia narrowed her eyes and Porkins laughed his pig laugh, "She's givin' you the look."  
  
Leia's head snapped around, "Are you drunk or are you always stupid?"  
  
Silence filled the area and then Bria stared at Leia and went "WHOA!"  
  
Laughter filled the area and Wedge slugged her in the shoulder, "That was good."  
  
Leia gave a sigh, "I'm in." She shook her head she couldn't wait to get this petty mission over with. As soon as Mon Mothma TRULY trusted her she would strike and she could go back to Corscant and take a nice LONG bubble bath.  
  
"So Leia is there anyone special in your life?"  
  
Leia shook her head, "Nope. Love is pathetic."  
  
Bria shook her head, "If only I had the man I loved with me here now."  
  
"Who might that be?" Nefriti asked with a sly smile.  
  
"A rugged, handsome, smuggler and scoundrel named Han Solo."  
  
Leia dropped her cards, "Han Solo?"  
  
flashback  
  
Leia smiled and surveyed the new man. He was a lot more handsome than Lando.  
  
Lando set his drink down, "This is Leia Skywalker."  
  
Leia stuck out her hand and shook the new mans, "Names Solo. Han Solo."  
  
She smiled and instantly was attracted to him. "So what do you boys do for a living?" She asked when Han sat down on the stool next to her. "I am a smuggler and Lando's trying to make it big."  
  
"What do you do?" Lando asked.  
  
Leia thought for a moment, "I'm a dancer."  
  
Dancer?" Han asked, "No offense sweetheart but you don't look like a dancer."  
  
Leia narrowed her eyes at him, "Well no offense but you don't look like a smuggler."  
  
Han was intrigued, "What do I look like than?"  
  
"Like a bum."  
  
  
  
The man stared down at her, "Watch where your--Leia!?"  
  
Leia stared up into the face of Han Solo, the cocky man she had met on Corellia, "You  
  
remembered my name." Was all she could say.  
  
He helped her up, "Of course I did. You are one person I will never forget."  
  
Leia nodded, "And I will never forget you, Han Solo"  
  
  
  
"What's the rush, Sweetheart?"  
  
"I haven't got the time to explain." And then as if compelled by some force she kissed his cheek. "Maybe I'll see you around."  
  
end flashback  
  
"Leia?" Bria asked, "Are you are right?"  
  
Leia shook the thoughts of Han Solo from her head, "Yeah." But the thoughts of Han Solo still hung in her mind. She felt a little jealous that Bria had been, perhaps still was, involved with Han Solo.  
  
"You just look a little...spacey."  
  
"Sorry, um, so what about the great love of your life?"  
  
"Well... He saved me from a bad situation."  
  
Before Leia could reply an alarm went off. "Time for the fun." Wedge said, grinning at her.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Luke Skywalker sighed. On another mission. Mara was unhappy. What had gotten into her the past few days? She seemed to distance and yet they had been spending a lot of time together. They had gone to dinner, lunch, shows, so many things in the past couple of days.  
  
He shook his head. He would never understand Mara Jade. She was too complicated. "Like most women." He mumbled. But he supposed that wasn't true. Many, or should he say most, were very intelligent.  
  
He hadn't seen his father in a long time, and he had no idea when the next time he would see him would be. He missed his sister terribly. And his mother. He had never met his mother but he loved her so much.  
  
But right now he needed to put that out of his mind. He needed to concentrate on this latest mission of his. Whatever it was. He was supposed to go to Tatooine to pick up his orders. Tatooine. That was in the middle of now where, it had no purpose for being there. But who would ever understand the emperor?  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Leia sat listening to the evacuation orders. They were to be going to some place called  
  
Datooine. Not that running will hide you or anything. She thought. But then again they didn't know that they had a traitor amongst them.  
  
She hated flying the X-Wing, it was a useless machine. 


	13. Chapter 13

1 Part Two  
  
  
  
Several months later....  
  
Leia stared at the huge birthday cake that Wedge and Bria had put together. In fact, they had put together and entire birthday party for her. Leia was truly stunned and surprised. The only people that had ever given her a birthday party was her father, even then on rare occasions, and her brother.  
  
Another birthday without her brother, and this time it was her fault. How she missed Luke. She hadn't spoken to him in months and it would probably be a while before she ever did. She checked in with the emperor occasionally but lately her messages were becoming more and more distant.  
  
"You guys this is so, WOW! I am totally amazed at all of this, I just can't believe it."  
  
Bria smiled, "We're friends and this is what friends do for a each other."  
  
"Right, friends." How true a term that had become for Leia, Bria, Wedge, and the newest  
  
recruit Biggs Darklighter. As much as Leia, underneath, wanted to deny it, deep down she knew it was true.  
  
For the past several months she had been promoted several times within the Alliance and many began to trust her. She had actually given the Alliance passwords and documents that were vital to the survival of the Empire. But the more she stayed with the Alliance the more she  
  
understood their reasons for doing what they were doing.  
  
She had seen Imperial commanders slaughter and kill innocent civilians for absolutely no reason at all. She had no idea that Imperials could be that cruel. And it hadn't been just a selected few, it had been several.  
  
Leia hugged each and everyone in turn. She still believed, to some degree, in the Empire. But everyday she was slipping a little more towards the Rebel Alliance. And this she knew for certain.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Luke Skywalker stared across the table at his beautiful companion, sort of speak, Mara Jade. He and Mara had been dating for a while now and it was no secret that they were closer than close.  
  
"I miss Leia." He said out of the blue.  
  
Mara rubbed his hand, "I know you do Luke. But try to just put it out of your mind."  
  
"How? It's our birthday."  
  
"I know and I'm sorry she can't be here." Mara told him. Each and everyday she was falling more and more in love with him and this scared her. She wasn't supposed to falling in love with him, she was supposed to kill him.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Darth Vader stared at the dark and deep chasm of space before him. Today was the twins  
  
birthday and today was Padme's death day. "I love you all, from the bottom of my cold, empty, black heart." He whispered.  
  
He learned, after all these years, that he couldn't put his Padme out of his mind. He loved her way to much. He just wished that he could have one more chance, just one more, to tell Padme that he loved her. But he didn't deserve that chance, not one bit.  
  
Someday, when all of this was over he would tell Luke and Leia the truth about their mother and what really happened. Someday.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Leia rubbed her temples. It had been such a long day. She had just been grilled by Mon  
  
Mothma and Bail Organa about the newest Imperial Weapon, the Death Star. She had told them all she knew, which wasn't much.  
  
She smiled, sadly, remember Bail's reaction to her "joining" the Alliance. He had gone ballistic. But after a while he had accepted it and now he didn't really have much of a problem with it.  
  
She had begun to learn things too. She heard whispers within the Alliance. Whispers about her mother. They had been saying that her mother had formed the Alliance. Of course they didn't know she was Amidala's daughter.  
  
Even after all these months she still wanted to believe her father and her master. But she  
  
couldn't. It was becoming harder and harder every day.  
  
Bria opened the door to the quarters in which she shared with Leia. Crossing her arms she said, "Would you like to tell me the truth?"  
  
"What truth?" Leia asked, confused.  
  
"Of who you really are, Leia Sexton." Bria said.  
  
"You overheard me and Mon Mothma didn't you?" Leia inserted.  
  
"All I know is she asked if you had cut your final loyalties to the Empire."  
  
Leia sighed, "Sit down." Bria did so without argument. "My mother was Queen Amidala Padme of Naboo."  
  
Bria's mouth dropped, "Our founder!?"  
  
Leia nodded, "Or so I keep hearing. My father and others have always referred to her as Queen of the Empire. But the more time I spend here the more I believe all of you."  
  
"I know she had some ties with Palpatine."  
  
Leia nodded, "To make a long story short, most of the Empire called me by my formal title of Lady Vader."  
  
Bria's eyes got as big as Wedge's way to sweet Pancakes. "Your the Legendary Lady Vader?"  
  
Leia smiled, slightly, "You've heard of me."  
  
"At training centers we were told of the rumors circulating your existence but we were never givin' any real proof of it."  
  
"Well here I am in the flesh. But be warned, I have changed."  
  
Bria's eyes searched out hers, "Against my better judgment I believe you."  
  
Leia nodded, "Good. For I am telling the truth. But PLEASE, PLEASE promise me that you will tell no one."  
  
Bria gulped, "I promise. I came to tell you that Mon Mothma has assigned us, you, me, Wedge, and Biggs, to travel to Tatooine for a mission."  
  
Leia nodded, "When to we leave?"  
  
"Tonight."  
  
Leia nodded again, "Tonight."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Beru Lars gave her husband another tired sigh, "Owen please you must try to understand Ani's view in all of this."  
  
"And what view would that be? Anakin not only turned evil, but he killed his wife, and turned OUR niece and nephew evil."  
  
"Amidala died in childbirth. You know that."  
  
Owen shook his head, "And now Obi-Wan is on some crazy crusade to seek out Leia and train her as a Jedi Knight."  
  
"Let him, Owen." Beru said, "He knows what he's doing."  
  
"I just don't trust him. Not after everything that has happened."  
  
Beru mumbled, "Here we go again." 


	14. Chapter 14

1 Part two continued…  
  
  
  
Luke Skywalker embraced Mara tightly. "I'm sorry I have to leave you again."  
  
Mara simply nodded, "I understand Luke, believe me I do understand."  
  
He smiled tightly, "I know you do."  
  
Mara sighed. She couldn't do it. For months she had had her opportunities to kill Luke but she just couldn't do it. She felt something so strong for him, "Promise me something Luke."  
  
"What?" He asked, "Whatever you want and its yours."  
  
"When you return we will spend some serious time together."  
  
"I promise." Luke said and kissed her, "And I need to you to promise me something."  
  
"Anything." She said smiling.  
  
"That you will do all in your power to find my sister."  
  
Mara nodded. "I will do all that I can. I swear."  
  
Luke kissed her again, "I love you."  
  
"I love you."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Emperor Palpatine sat in his long slender chair in his throne room. Leia was failing him, she had failed him. She was far beyond his reach now. He needed to send someone in there. Someone who wouldn't turn from him, someone who wouldn't fail him. And that someone was Mara Jade.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Leia's ship touched down in the sandy landing pad on Tatooine, "Here I am again." She  
  
moaned.  
  
"Here YOU are again?" Biggs asked, "The whole reason I joined the Alliance was to leave this place and I've just wound up back here again."  
  
Leia smiled, "You are so cute sometimes."  
  
Biggs chuckled, "I know."  
  
"All right, now if you two are done flirting can we PLEASE go on with this." Wedge said.  
  
"Who are we meeting?" Leia asked  
  
"Someone named Winter." Bria answered.  
  
Leia's eyes grew wide, "Winter of Alderaan."  
  
"Yeah." Bria said, "How did you know?"  
  
"I grew up with her, sort of."  
  
"Where are you from anyway?" Wedge asked.  
  
"Nowhere." Was Leia's only reply, "Nowhere at all."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Leia Skywalker entered the nosy cantina. Here she was again. The last time she had entered this cantina was several months ago and she had run into that Imperial trader Izellah. At the very back was a woman who stuck out like a Hutt in a room filled with humans. Leia glided up smoothly to her, "Winter of Alderaan."  
  
Winter looked up and the shock on her face was priceless, "Leia Sky-"  
  
"Sexton," Leia cut in sharply, "Leia Sexton."  
  
"Right," Winter said, "Bail had told me you had joined the Alliance, I just never believed it and I still find it hard to believe."  
  
Leia nodded, "So do I."  
  
Bria, Wedge, and Biggs came over to join them, "Well please sit down." Winter invited.  
  
The four of them sat. Winter began, "I have some newest information on the Imperial  
  
super station The Death Star."  
  
Leia nodded, "I've recently given Mon Mothma some new passwords but just yesterday all of my access was cut to Imperial records and I believe I've been found out."  
  
Winter's eyes widened, "By your father?"  
  
"Higher."  
  
To Winter and Leia, Bria, Wedge, and Biggs were invisible. "You mean your former master?"  
  
Leia nodded, "I think he knows and if he does he will send someone to take me out and to  
  
penetrate the alliance, as I have failed them miserably."  
  
"Well you did change your beliefs. I must warn Bail."  
  
"Please do." Leia said, urgently.  
  
Winter nodded, slipped Leia some data cards, and left.  
  
Bria sat there, confused, "Please tell me that did not just happen."  
  
Wedge gripped Leia's arm, "What did you mean you have failed miserably."  
  
Leia sighed, "I used to work for the Emperor, sort of, and he hired me to corupt the Alliance from the inside but the longer I stayed the more and more I began to turn and now the Emperor knows that I am no longer with him, that I am no longer on their side. He knows that I am now your ally and he will send someone to take care of me."  
  
With those words Leia got up and left.  
  
Biggs stared after her, "Geeze, Did you know about this, Bria?"  
  
Bria nodded, "Some what. She told me just the other day. Mon Mothma knows and I think we can still trust her."  
  
Wedge nodded, "I agree. Come on."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Obi-Wan lurked outside the cantina just waiting for Leia Skywalker to show her face. He needed to speak to her, he needed to train her. She was the galaxy's only hope. He saw her leave the cantina. Rushing up he said, "Leia Skywalker?"  
  
Leia jerked back and then wearily said, "How do you know my name?"  
  
"My name is Obi-Wan Kenobi and I-"  
  
"Kenobi." Leia snarled, "You killed my mother!" Then she grabbed the the lightsaber that she had kept hidden for all those months, "I am going to finish the job my father never started!" She swore. And then lunged at his head with the Lightsaber.  
  
Obi-Wan dodged Leia, "Whoa! Leia, I didn't come here to fight."  
  
Leia felt the anger surge through her, "What, then, you came here to gloat is that it?" She  
  
screamed. She had never felt more anger in her before, and she had been raised in anger.  
  
Obi-wan shook his head, "Leia I came to help."  
  
"Help what?" She screamed, "Finish the job you all ready started? Finish leaving me and my brother alone and unhappy, with no mother?" She lunged again.  
  
Obi-Wan had no choice but bring out his own lightsaber and ignite it, "Leia I don't want to fight."  
  
"Well thats what you are going to get!" She hissed, "I am going to make you pay for taking my mother life. I am going to make you pay with your life!"  
  
"Leia!?" Bria cried in stunned shock as she ran out of the cantina.  
  
Leia didn't even glance at her friend as she struck harder and harder to strike Obi-Wan.  
  
"Leia, listen to me," Obi-Wan pleaded, "I didn't kill your mother. She died of natural causes. Trust me."  
  
"Why should I believe you?" She snarled.  
  
"Search your feelings you know what I say is the truth."  
  
Leia only glared at him. But she heard voices. Voices far away and it was as if she was being transported through time.  
  
flashback  
  
"Push, Amidala. I need you to push." A man cried.  
  
"I can't," she rasped, "I can't."  
  
"Come on Padme I know you can," her husband said.  
  
Amidala looked at him. "No," she whispered.  
  
"Padme you have to." Vader replied.  
  
"No," she was hot and cold now, "Your not supposed to be here."  
  
"Amidala push!" The doctor yelled.  
  
Amidala pushed with all her might and soon heard the cry of a little baby.  
  
"It's a girl." The nurse informed them.  
  
"On more, Amidala, just one more."  
  
Amidala soon heard another cry join the first one. "Its a boy!" The nurse cried  
  
Amidala reached out to hold her children. "Luke," Amidala whispered, "Luke and Leia  
  
Skywalker." she was felt so weak. She was so very weak.  
  
"Padme?" she heard her husband say. "Padme? Don't die oh please don't die."  
  
She turned to him for a final time. "Like you even care."  
  
"Padme-"  
  
"The name's Amidala." she said as coldly.  
  
"Padme, please. Padme, PLEASE." he begged one final time.  
  
It was too late.  
  
end flashback  
  
Leia felt all her strength leave her and she collapsed to the ground. Wedge was at her side immediately, "Leia?" He whispered.  
  
Leia was breathing hard now. "No. NO!" She yelled. "You're lying." She said.  
  
"No Leia. I am not."  
  
Leia pushed her self out of Wedge's embrace, "First you kill my mother and now you dishonor her memory as well?"  
  
Obi-Wan shook his head, "Leia feel with your heart not with the lies that have been filled in your head. I beg of you to remember."  
  
flashback  
  
"My children. My beautiful children. Luke and Leia." Vader said as he scooped the children from the nurses' arms."  
  
"What will you do with them?" The nurse asked, frightfully.  
  
"Raise them. Care for them. Love them."  
  
"How can a monster love?" The nurse shot at him.  
  
end flashback  
  
Leia felt the tears slip down her cheeks. "No. It can't be true. He wouldn't lie to me. He  
  
wouldn't!" She insisted.  
  
"He would dear child. He would and he has. He has filled you and your brothers heads with lies since the moment he brought the two of you home."  
  
Leia's lips trembled and she began an all out weep as she fell into Obi- Wan's arms.  
  
Bria pursed her lips as she watched her friend cry in the old man's arms. Just the sight of it  
  
brought tears to her eyes.  
  
Biggs was shaking his head, "I don't understand."  
  
Wedge shook her head, "I don't either but I do know that it is very important to Leia's past."  
  
Leia got up and looked in Obi-Wan's eyes, "How did you know? If you didn't kill her, how? I don't understand."  
  
Obi-Wan nodded, "I know you don't, young child."  
  
"They lied to me, my whole life. About everything. They told me she stood up for the empire. They had even nicknamed her Queen of the Empire."  
  
Obi-Wan nodded, "But she wasn't. If anything she wanted to destroy the Empire. She founded the Alliance, you know."  
  
"So I keep hearing."  
  
"Your LADY VADER!?" Wedge cried in shock.  
  
Bria hit upside the head, "Be quite. If you let that out this entire planet is gonna kill her."  
  
"You are!" Wedge gasped.  
  
Leia nodded, "Unfortunately. But please, Wedge, Biggs, don't let anyone know. I beg of you." 


	15. Chapter 15

1 Part two continued…  
  
  
  
Mara Jade bowed before her master. "As you wish master."  
  
She then left his throne room in a state of shock. Leia had joined the Alliance. Sent there on a mission and then turned and sided with the rebel scum. She couldn't believe it. She just couldn't believe it.  
  
She knew Leia had always been shaky in an alliance with the Empire but she had never  
  
expected her to turn with the Alliance. Wait until Luke knows. Wait until Vader knows.  
  
"Oh my god." Mara breathed. She couldn't believe it. She just couldn't.  
  
And now here she had a mission to go to the Alliance and to take her best friend out and finish Leia's job.  
  
Mara felt like crying. No. She commanded herself. Crying is for wimps. I am not a wimp. I am a survivor and I am going to make sure Leia's pays for this. "Yes," Mara mumbled, "Leia is going to pay for this betrayal."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Leia hugged her three friends tightly, "I love you guys."  
  
Wedge kissed her cheek, "We love you too."  
  
"How are you going to explain all this to Mon Mothma?" Leia asked.  
  
"We'll tell her the truth," Biggs inserted.  
  
Bria nodded, "And then she'll just make up some sort of cover story for it."  
  
Leia squeezed her eyes shut, "I just can't believe it. My father lied to me all these years. I mean I know he's not a saint, far from it but he loves me and he loves Luke. I just find it so hard to believe." She sighed, "My father is gonna kill me, literally."  
  
Biggs shook his head, "Not if he truly loves you."  
  
Leia smiled, "Just goes to show how much you do not know my father."  
  
The four of them then joined hands and recited a small pact that had become important to them about a month ago.  
  
"Good bye." Leia whispered.  
  
"Oh we'll see you again." Wedge said, "Some how I am so certain of it."  
  
Leia and Obi-Wan then left the docking bay, "I still cannot believe this." Leia said.  
  
"I understand fully. I cannot train you nearly as well as another Jedi Master of mine could, but I will do my best." Obi-Wan promised.  
  
"Before you go saying anything I want to sit down and now the truth. ALL of it." Leia said.  
  
"Come, I shall tell you."  
  
Leia followed him to a speeder he had nearby and they drove out to a small hut, right in the middle of nowhere. Inside Obi-Wan began to tell his story.  
  
When he was finished, Leia sat there in shock. Just pure shock. "Wow. So all the rumors I've been hearing are true."  
  
"Yes quite."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Luke Skywalker looked around the Imperial Center. Another party. Another Traitor. Another assassination. His target was a Madame Jurhu and her husband, Grand Admiral Jurhu. So many traitors within their organization. How could anyone ever support the alliance? They were nothing but rebels without a real cause.  
  
Luke walked over and inserted himself into their conversation, "So I hear Grand Admiral that you are one of the greatest Grand Admiral's there ever was."  
  
The Grand Admiral laughed, "Hardly. You are?"  
  
Luke was supposed to be a secret. But there were rumors, of course, of his, Leia's, and Mara's existence. He was dressed in a General's outfit, one his many undercover costumes, "My name is General Luceono Calvery."  
  
"Calvery?" The Grand Admiral said, "I don't believe I've heard of you."  
  
Luke forced a laugh, "Most have not, sir."  
  
"Please call me Arpiar," the man cleared his thoart, "And allow me to introduce my wife,  
  
Madame Helki Jurhu, and my daughter, Elana."  
  
Luke turned his attention to the beautiful blonde standing next the Grand Admiral, "Hello."  
  
Elana smiled, "Evenin', Sir" Her accent was very thick, sounded familiar.  
  
Luke returned her smile, "Would you care to dance, Madame?"  
  
"I would love to."  
  
Then Luke took her hand and guided her out to the dance floor. Their bodies moved to the  
  
music as if they were meant to. "You are a wonderful dancer, miss."  
  
"Please call me Elana. I insist.'  
  
"All right Elana and you call me Luceono."  
  
"Luceono, it has a funny ring to it. Almost strange."  
  
Luke laughed. It felt as if she had some power of him. He loved Mara, of course, but something felt different with Elana, almost magical.  
  
After they were finished dancing Luke led her back to her family, "It was wonderful, Elana."  
  
"I can share that sentiment," She said, her face lighting up like the Corscant night.  
  
Suddenly a woman, dressed in white, approached the Grand Admiral and whispered something in his ear, and then took off. The Grand Admiral looked as white as a snow monster on Hoth. "Sir is everything all right?" Luke asked.  
  
"Daddy what is it?" Elana asked, worried.  
  
"Helki come with me." The Grand Admiral instructed before leaving the table. His wife, naturally followed him.  
  
"Luceono do you know what's wrong?" Elana asked.  
  
Luke shook his head, "But I intend to find out."  
  
Luke Skywalker followed the couple slowly to a small room where he listened in on their  
  
conversation.  
  
"My darling what is it?" the madam asked.  
  
"I have just received a very disturbing notice."  
  
"Well? What is it?"  
  
"I have just been notified by word of mouth that Mon Mothma has officially accepted the  
  
daughter of darkness into the Alliance."  
  
"What!?"  
  
The Grand Admiral nodded, "yes, she's been testing her for the past several months and she has accepted her into the alliance. She has proved herself to be quite an ally. She has provided much information on the empire that is causing the war to turn to our direction."  
  
"Are you telling me that Lady Vader has been accepted fully into the alliance?"  
  
Luke took in a deep amount of breath. "No." He whispered. Leia couldn't have turned. It wasn't possible. Although she didn't completely agree with the empire there was no way Leia would have turned. It just wasn't possible. 


	16. Chapter 16

1 Part two continued…  
  
  
  
Mon Mothma stared at the rebels, "She is going to be trained as a Jedi Knight? Am I hearing this right?"  
  
Bria nodded, "Yes. It was most peculiar."  
  
Mon Mothma nodded, "Leia has believed all these years that Obi-Wan killed her mother. But now she knows the truth."  
  
"What truth. I am so lost here." Wedge said.  
  
"Your not the only one," Biggs replied.  
  
Mon Mothma sat down at the wide, oval table and gestured for the others to sit. When they did she began, "Leia's mother, Amidala, was the Queen of Naboo. She had close ties to the Emperor back in those days and that's when she had met Leia's father, Anakin Skywalker."  
  
"I thought her father was Darth Vader?" Wedge asked.  
  
"I'm getting there," Mon Mothma said, "Amidala, Obi-Wan, and Anakin were very close friends until Anakin turned to the dark side and became Darth Vader. After that happened Amidala did all her power to destroy the empire, thus the birth of the Republic. Amidala, myself, and Bail Organa of Alderaan became close during this time period. Later, Amidala would die in giving birth to Leia and her brother. The emperor and Lord Vader told the Skywalker twins that Obi-Wan Kenobi had murdered their mother and that their mother had been very supportive of the empire."  
  
"So basically they filled their heads with lies," Bria concluded.  
  
Mon Mothma nodded, "And I am so surprised at Leia's sudden turn. But I am also worried." She paused for a moment, "All that is said does not leave this room. EVER."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Mara arrived at the alliance headquarters. She had learned, with the force guiding her, that Leia was using the alias Leia Sexton. Not very smart of her.  
  
Mara approached a handsome looking young man and asked, "Can you tell me where I can find Leia Sexton?"  
  
The man looked confused, "She's on a mission to Tatooine."  
  
"Mission?" Mara asked, a bit confused herself, "Thank you."  
  
She turned to walk away but the man called, "But the team has returned."  
  
Mara turned slowly around, "So she's back?"  
  
The man shook his head, "No. Leia stayed behind on Tatooine to over see some things there before she returns."  
  
Mara thought this over for a minute, "Thank you," she told him as she spun away.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Luke Skywalker slumped on the wall of the palace. He had just gotten back from leaving Elana without parents. Elana. Leia.  
  
Leia was a traitor, he couldn't believe it. Leia had actually joined the alliance. They had fought so hard to make sure the alliance never won and here she was joining them!  
  
The double doors swung open, "Luke are you here?"  
  
Luke didn't answer. Mara could, and was, using the force to tell if she was here. Mara came around the corner and saw him slumped in a corner. "Luke are you all right?"  
  
"I need to tell you something about Leia."  
  
Mara was worried. She had just reported to Palpatine less than an hour ago. Luke couldn't possible know. "What about Leia?"  
  
"She's joined the Rebel Alliance."  
  
Mara closed her eyes, he knew. He knew. "I know."  
  
"What? How?"  
  
"I was sent to kill your sister but she wasn't at the base. She's on Tatooine."  
  
"You were going to kill my sister?" Luke asked.  
  
"I don't know. That was my mission but she was my friend I don't know if I would have had the guts to do it once I saw her. Luke I need to be honest with you."  
  
"Honest about what?"  
  
"The reason I spent so much time with you was Palpatine ordered by to kill you."  
  
"WHAT?" Luke screamed.  
  
"Luke I couldn't do it I-"  
  
"Get out," Luke ordered.  
  
"What? Why?"  
  
"GET OUT!" 


	17. Chapter 17

1 Part two continued…  
  
  
  
Leia opened up her mind to the Force. She let it guide her. Obi-Wan's instructions were that she mediate for at least an hour a day. Usually she mediated for four or five, but Obi-Wan insisted that she needed to be careful of the Dark Side.  
  
She saw a beautiful palace before her, one that had often been in her dreams as a little girl. She saw five women dressed in yellow and orange cloaks and one woman dressed in an elaborate black dress. She saw two Jedi and a strange looking creature, a Gungan see believed. She heard voices, a girl's and a boy's.  
  
"Are you an Angel?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"An Angel. They live on the moons of Iego, I think."  
  
"Your a funny little boy. How do you know so much?"  
  
She heard engines revving and saw pod racers, these were outlawed now by the Empire. She saw a little boy in one. She heard a man, with a deep voice, giving the little boy instructions. Then the image faded and she saw a woman in tears, her screams. She saw Obi-Wan, looking much younger, comforting the woman. After this she saw her father, Darth Vader, kneeling before the Emperor.  
  
Then it all faded and was replaced with a white light. Suddenly she heard screams of joy and saw her brother in an X-Wing. She saw herself standing at a round conference table hugging someone near to her in excitement. She saw Winter hugging herself.  
  
Suddenly Leia jumped and opened her eyes. "Sorry, " Obi-Wan said, "I didn't know you were back here."  
  
Leia shook her head, "Its all right. I just had the strangest vision."  
  
"Vision?"  
  
Leia nodded, "Yes. I saw Luke flying and X-wing, and Winter and I were hugging, and I was overjoyed about something."  
  
"It must be the future you see."  
  
"The future?"  
  
Obi-Wan extended his hand and helped her up, "Yes the future. Something is going to happen that will have such events unfold."  
  
"Such as?"  
  
"I don't know. Now come I have someone very special for you to meet."  
  
"Who are we going to see?" Leia asked her new master.  
  
"Someone who is extremely important to your life and to your brothers."  
  
Leis thought about this for a moment, "Who?" She asked again.  
  
"Patience, dear child, patience."  
  
Leia and Obi-Wan left the small hut, which he had added on to accommodate Leia's presence and to make her more comfortable. They climbed into the speeder and Obi-Wan decided Leia should drive. After only about a half- hour they came to a moisture farm. "Who lives here?"  
  
"Your aunt and uncle?"  
  
"My what?" Leia cried, surprised. She had an aunt and an uncle? How?  
  
Obi-Wan seemed to read her thoughts, "Yes. Your father's brother Owen Lars and his wife Beru. They were both born and raised here."  
  
Leia thought about this, "My uncle dislikes you very much doesn't her?"  
  
Obi-Wan nodded, "He blames me for your father turning."  
  
Even after all this time Obi-Wan did not tell her why her father had turned. "Why did he turn. Please tell me."  
  
Obi-Wan realized that he could no longer deny her request, "It was his destiny. There was nothing I nor anyone else could do."  
  
"How so?"  
  
"Thousands of years ago and Jedi Master made a prophecy about someone named called 'the chosen one'. The chosen one was to bring balance to the force. I realize now the chosen one was to bring balance between the good and the evil, to even out the sides. I also realize that it was destiny that landed me on the world so many years ago."  
  
Leia didn't know what to say. A woman came flying out the front door. She was here. Her niece. Amidala's daughter. She had been waiting seventeen years for this. "Leia," the woman chocked out. Beru was stunned at just how much Leia looked like her mother.  
  
Leia hopped out of the speeder, "Aunt?"  
  
Beru nodded through her tears, "Aunt Beru. Your Uncle's name is Owen. He's in Anchorhead for the day." Then without another word Beru raced towards Leia and embraced her.  
  
Leia was so stunned. Granted, she was loved as a child but this affection stunned her. Leia started to cry. She was wonderful.  
  
Obi-Wan watched the two women. He had known this would be a good idea. Leia was exactly what Beru needed. He just hopped that Owen wouldn't shot him on sight.  
  
"Obi-Wan!" Beru cried, coming up to the Jedi Master and embracing him. "Come in you two. I just made some lunch. Come in."  
  
Beru took Leia and Obi-Wan into the house and placed the dishes and drinks on the table. She was so glad they were here.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Luke Skywalker was unsure of just how to bring this subject up to his father. He didn't know how and he was afraid of what his father just might say. Someone had to tell him and Luke was determined that his father not hear it from the Emperor.  
  
Vader's face, or rather mask, filled the screen, "What?"  
  
Luke swallowed. "Father, its about Leia."  
  
Even though Vader was lightyears away he could feel Luke's concern and his hurt. He panicked, "What about her? Is she hurt? What?"  
  
Luke made a face, "She's fine," he spat.  
  
But Vader was relaxing, he could feel his sons hurt and anger, "Tell me!"  
  
"Leia-she-um... she's joined the Alliance. Father she sold us out!"  
  
Vader sat back. "No, Leia would not join the Alliance."  
  
"Well she did and Master confirmed it."  
  
Vader curled his gloved hand into a fist and banged on the table. Damn Palaptine! Leia was his little girl. "No," he grunted but he could feel it. He could feel it, not only with the Force but in his bones. "I'm coming home."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Leia was greatly enjoying Beru and Obi-Wan's company when she heard a door slam shut, "Honey, whose-" A voice asked then stopping short when he entered the living room. Seeing Obi-Wan the man said, "What the hell are you doing here?"  
  
Beru jumped up from the couch and stepped between the two men, "Owen, Obi- Wan has  
  
brought Leia for a visit."  
  
For the first time Owen noticed Leia sitting on the couch. She looked just like her mother.  
  
"Leia?" He asked. She stood up. She was wearing a long brown robe, a Jedi robe, and her hair was pinned up in braids. He studied her for a moment. In that robe she reminded him of Anakin and her hair reminded him of her mother.  
  
"Uncle Owen?" She asked, cautiously, as if unsure what to call him.  
  
Owen embraced his niece. She was so strong and healthy. "Oh gosh how long has it been? How old are you my dear?"  
  
Leia pulled back, gently, and said, "seventeen and a half."  
  
Owen embraced her again and then he asked, "How long have you been here?"  
  
Leia was afraid to answer. Sensing this, Obi-Wan said, "About six months."  
  
Owen spun on Obi-Wan, "She's been here six months and your just now bringing her to us!?"  
  
"I wanted to wait. When we met in Mos Esiley she was still so angry, so dark." Obi-Wan told him, hoping but yet knowing that Owen wouldn't accept the answer.  
  
Owen opened his mouth to say something but Leia intervened, "It was for the best. Seventeen years of darkness just can't be wiped away in a few hours time."  
  
Owen thought about this, as much as he did not want to accept it he didn't have much of a  
  
choice. "Are right. I think I can reason with that."  
  
Beru smiled. It was about time they deserved some happiness.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Mara sobbed on her bed. It was over, all over. Granted she deserved, oh she had deserved it. But she was truly in love with him. She wanted to be with him, forget all it she wanted to yell. But Luke couldn't, he couldn't and simply wouldn't accept the fact.  
  
She didn't blame him. Memories flashed around her. Their walks, talks, and kisses. Months of being together just washed away. All because of Leia. She thought bitterly.  
  
Leia had turned on them, she was a traitor, and if she ever came back to Corscant the Empire would put her on trial and then hang her for treason. If Leia hadn't turned, then none of this would ever have happened.  
  
"Its all her fault!" Mara yelled, throwing a vase across the room, where it shattered against the wall. 


	18. Chapter 18

1 Part two continued…  
  
  
  
Leia hugged her aunt, uncle, and master before she headed off the bed. Beru had a room  
  
prepared for her, almost as if she had known Leia was coming. After she was out of earshot Owen asked, "I thought I told you never to come around here again."  
  
"Well so much for being kind to him, Owen," Beru huffed.  
  
Owen simply glared at her, "Obi-Wan I want her to stay here. Leia needs to be protected.  
  
Needs to be near people who love, care, and can protect her. Simply you cannot do that."  
  
Obi-Wan nearly sighed, "Look I am very sorry about your brother."  
  
"Sorry?" Owen screeched, "How can you be sorry? You don't even know what being sorry means! You destroyed my brother's life!"  
  
"Owen that is enough!" Beru cried. She never raised her voice to her husband but simply she had had enough, "He didn't do anything to hurt Anakin and you know that! Obi-Wan did everything possible in his power to save Ani from his fate but there was nothing you or I or anyone else could have done about it. It was Anakin destiny, written a long time before either you or I even existed. There was nothing to be done about it."  
  
Owen wanted to argue but he simply did not have the strength finally he pointed a finger at Obi- Wan and said, "If you do anything to hurt her I will kill you."  
  
Obi-Wan nodded to Owen, "You have my word that I will do nothing to harm her."  
  
"Your word is useless," Owen spat.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Darth Vader threw open the door to the Imperial Palace. The two guards did not let down their guard and actually refused to let him enter. Vader slapped them aside as if they were two rag dolls. He entered Palpatine's Quarters in a rush.  
  
Palpatine spun around in his chair, "I thought I told you to remain with Tarkin until I called you back."  
  
Vader rushed up to him so fast that Palpatine didn't have a chance to move. Vader hoisted him up by his neck and slammed him into the wall, "What have you done to my daughter?"  
  
Palpatine grunted and tried to summon the Force but he couldn't, "Nothing."  
  
"Luke told me you sent her to Alliance and she became one of them. He told me that you hired Mara Jade to kill him. Now confess!" He yelled slamming him into the wall again.  
  
Palpatine grunted and choked, "You are playing a dangerous game, Lord Vader."  
  
Vader dropped him on the ground, "Damn you!"  
  
And with a whoosh of his cloak Vader left. He needed to contact his daughter, somehow,  
  
someway.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Leia was sleeping soundly when she awoke to the sound of her comlink beeping. Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, Leia turned it on and asked, "What?"  
  
"Leia is that you?" Bria Tharen asked.  
  
"Bria? Yeah, what's up? Its the middle of the night where I am you know."  
  
"Yeah I know. Look Mon Mothma wanted me to contact you."  
  
"About?" Leia asked. She was really tired and just wanted to go to sleep.  
  
"The Empire has completed the Death Star."  
  
That woke Leia up pretty darn fast, "What?"  
  
Bria sounded grave, "Yeah and um... Lord Vader's returned to Corscant. Sources say he left after someone contacted him. He left in a pretty big hurry."  
  
"Oh no," Leia whispered. Her father knew. He knew that she had betrayed the Empire, joined the Alliance, and was now working on becoming a Jedi. "My father knows. I can feel it."  
  
"Mon Mothma was wondering if you could perhaps help us in the capture of the Death Star plans. They're not sure how to do it and we need your help. We are now located on Datooine."  
  
"Tell her that I'm on my way," Leia said and cut the connection. She leapt out of bed and quickly dressed.  
  
Only a short while later Obi-Wan opened her door, "Your leaving? Why?"  
  
Leia would have laughed if she hadn't been so frantic. "I need to go. To help the Alliance."  
  
"Are you crazy?" Owen barked coming into Leia's bedroom, followed by Beru, "Your father will tear you to shreds."  
  
"He all ready know. If I don't leave now I will be putting you all in danger."  
  
"Who cares about us?" Beru asked, "Our main concern is for you, Honey."  
  
Leia nodded, "I know that," she shoved her blaster and lightsaber in her pouch and tucked her shirt over it, "But I need to go," She looked at Obi- Wan, "I know you want to stop me but you--all of you--know that my mother would want me to help the Alliance, especially under this kind of situation AND," she emphasized before anyone could argue otherwise, "It was meant to happen like this."  
  
Beru embraced her, "We love you."  
  
Leia hugged her back, "I love you too," she then embraced her uncle and Obi- Wan, "Good-bye." Leia headed for one of the speeder and took off for Mos Esiley. She then paid a droid to take it back to the Lars' farm.  
  
Despite it being extremely late at night, Mos Esiley was still stirring with life. There was no way she could hire someone to take her Datooine. They might spill the beans about the Alliance. In the old days she may have killed someone and simply taken their ship but this wasn't the old days anymore.  
  
She entered the nearest Cantina. She could hire someone to take her to Datooine and have a Force hold on him and then after he left wipe his memory. That wouldn't be using the Dark Side, would it? She spotted a tall Wookiee near the back of the room, as she got closer she saw that he was talking, softly, to a human. As she got closer she could hear the conversation.  
  
"Look, Chewie, we are going to see Jabba tomorrow."  
  
The Wookiee gave a mournful sound. Leia didn't speak Wookiee fluently; she had never needed to, but to her and sounded like an objection.  
  
"I know there is no need to see him but I-we need to work."  
  
Leia decided to interrupt, "Excuse me?" When the Wookiee turned Leia saw the Human's face, it was Han! "Han Solo, we just keep running into each other don't we?"  
  
Han's face lit up like Corscant at night, "Well I think you must be following me."  
  
Leia shook her head, "You wish."  
  
"I just might," Han said then he scooted over, "Please come sit down."  
  
Leia sat next to him, "Whose your pal?"  
  
"This is Chewie, I'm surprised you haven't seen him lurking around he's been with me for a while."  
  
Leia surveyed the Wookiee he looked somewhat familiar. Then Leia felt like she was going to throw up. She raised her hand to her mouth to keep the vomit down, "Oh my god."  
  
"What?" Han asked, "What is it?"  
  
Tears formed in Leia's eyes. "You were an Imperial Slave, weren't you?"  
  
The Wookiee cocked his head at her and gave a small whimpering sound that Leia took as a yes.  
  
Han put his arm around her shoulder and drew her near to him, "Sssh. Its okay." The Wookiee, Chewie, growled, "Chewie wants to know how you knew."  
  
Leia sniffled and pulled herself out of Han's embrace, "I saw him one day. Working on a ship. I was touring with my--," she paused, "with my father."  
  
Chewie gave another sound and Han translated, "Are you with the Empire?"  
  
Leia thought about this and decided to give him an honest answer, "Once. Now I'm running from it, for my life."  
  
"Why?" Han asked, before Chewie could. He was curious.  
  
"Truth is I'm not a dancer. Never was, never will be. I was raised in a rich environment to someone heavily involved with the Empire. Almost two years ago I was sent to destroy the Alliance. Only problem was I fell in love with it and their ways. Now I am working to destroy the Imperials and keep the Old Republic alive."  
  
Han sat back, "So that's what you were doing on Corellia."  
  
"More or less. I'm sorry I lied to you. But I didn't know you."  
  
"What's your real name?" Han asked.  
  
Leia was taken back, "Leia Skywalker, just like I told you."  
  
Han shook his head, "No its not. I had a friend of mine research you and granted hundreds of Leia Skywalkers came up, I mean its a big galaxy, but none matching your description."  
  
"There is no record of me. Under any name. I am a secret. I have been since the day I was born. My father wasn't even supposed to know about my existence but he found out and raised me," she paused, "And my mother died."  
  
Chewbacca put a hairy paw on Leia's hand, which was on the table and gave a small growl. "Chewie says he's sorry for all your pain," Han informed her.  
  
Leia smiled at the big Wookiee, "Thank you. Han, if your looking for work I have a job for you."  
  
Han was surprised at the change of subject, "You were listening weren't you?"  
  
Leia nodded, "Bad habit."  
  
Han thought for a moment. He didn't really want to take money from her, and usually he was willing to take money from anybody who came along. Slowly he asked, "What sort of job?"  
  
"As my pilot, just for a one way trip."  
  
"Where?"  
  
"To the new Rebel base."  
  
"Oh no," Han said, "I am not getting all mixed up in that business again."  
  
"Again?" Leia asked, intrigued.  
  
"Yes, again. I worked the Imperial Navy until I met Chewie here."  
  
"Met?" Leia asked, "I'd say more like saved."  
  
"Saved?" Han asked.  
  
Leia nodded, a smile playing her face, "Do you realize that what I just have?"  
  
"What's that?" Han asked.  
  
"A few years back I was sent to kill a man, I wasn't given a name now mind you, who had been discharged because he had saved a Wookiee slave. I chased you for three months with no results. You were the first person to slip through my fingers."  
  
Han laughed, "Your joking right?"  
  
"Did you honestly think the Imperials would simply discharge you for saving one of their slaves? You were number one on my list and I never found you. I heard, though, that you had died."  
  
Han was still grinning, "That's what a lot of people think. Come on lets get out of here. Oh by the way, I'll take the job." 


	19. Chapter 19

1 Part two continued…  
  
  
  
Luke Skywalker simply stared at his father, "Are you sure?"  
  
Darth Vader nodded, "Because of the Emperor you have been living in the darkness all your life and not anymore."  
  
"But Father-"  
  
"Luke don't argue with me, I am going to announce, officially, that you are my son."  
  
Luke was confused. Why now? Why after all this time? Because of Leia? "Does this have to do with Leia turning?"  
  
Vader studied his son, "Yes it does. I've lost one my children before I could announce that she was mine and I'm not going to let that happen with us."  
  
"But Father I won't turn, you have my word."  
  
"Doesn't matter," Vader nearly snarled, "I still want the galaxy to know who you are." He squeezed his son's shoulder, 'Right now you are the most important person to me in the galaxy."  
  
Luke thought about this. Ever since his father had returned things had been different. Leia had turned coat and they where, though neither wanted to admit it, that Leia may have found a Jedi to train her in the way of the Jedi Knights. "Father?"  
  
"What?" Vader asked in sort of a kind way it almost startled Luke.  
  
"Um... What are we going to do about Leia?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Nothing?" Luke was, he had to admit, confused.  
  
"For now. For now we let her run her course, and when she lest expects it, we snare her. Any objections?"  
  
Luke bowed, "Of course not, Father."  
  
"Good."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Leia plopped her feet up on the table in the lounge of the Falcon, "So what exactly have you been up to since I last saw you?"  
  
Han's face showed a little pain, "Not much."  
  
Leia narrowed her eyes, "Come on, you can't lie to me."  
  
Han leaned forward and raised his eyebrows, "And why not?"  
  
"Because I can always tell when someone is lying."  
  
"Oh really?"  
  
Leia nodded, "Yes I can. Lets just say its a gift I have."  
  
"So if I give you a lie, you'll be able to tell?"  
  
Leia gave him a slick smile, "Oh yeah. Hit me with one."  
  
"Okay um... I grew up on a ship raised by a sort of pirate guy."  
  
"You're telling me the truth."  
  
Han had to admit he was surprised, "Well I suppose you were right." Leia popped a small leaf sort of snack food in her mouth and Han asked, "What about you?"  
  
Leia swallowed, "I was raised on Corscant by my father and grew up in a private life with private tutors and only one companion."  
  
"Which was?"  
  
"My brother."  
  
"Your brother!?" Han nearly shouted.  
  
Leia laughed, "He's not-" she paused. Luke was practically dead to her now anyway, "or rather was not a big guy."  
  
"What happened to him?"  
  
"Well remember how I told you I was raised in a rich environment within the Empire?" She asked. Han nodded. "Well," Leia continued, "My brother was killed when Rebel Forces tired to kill my father." Which wasn't an entire lie. Luke had been seriously injured, and may not have made it, during that time period when the Rebel Alliance tried to murder her father.  
  
Han reached across and gripped her hand, "I'm sorry. I know what it means to lose a loved one."  
  
Leia studied him. Bria no doubt, she reasoned. For some reason Leia was jealous, "Oh?"  
  
Han nodded, "There was this Wookiee named Dewlanna who practically raised me on that ship I told you about. She died protecting me."  
  
Leia was a little shocked. Maybe not Bria. "What doesn't kill you only makes you a little  
  
stronger."  
  
Han couldn't agree more.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Bria drummed her fingers on the table, "She should be here by now."  
  
Mon Mothma was pacing the room, "I must admit I am beginning to worry."  
  
Winter got up from her chair and looked at the group, "I have known Leia for a very long time. She is very passionate about her beliefs and I know that she will not fail us."  
  
"How can you be so sure?" Biggs asked, "Granted she is a wonderful woman, she's smart, and kind, but you have to admit that she is truly Lady Vader and she may have returned to Empire during these short few days."  
  
Bria slammed her hands down, "NO! Leia wouldn't do that. I've known her for almost two years now. She wouldn't do that!"  
  
Wedge closed his eyes and sat back, "Look she's coming all the way across the galaxy and  
  
secondly she didn't even have a ship off planet it may take-or have taken- her a while to find one."  
  
"You're right," Biggs told the other pilot, "You're right."  
  
"Miss Tharen we have a foreign ship entering our atmosphere. The woman says that she is Lady Sexton."  
  
"That's Leia's alias," Wedge said.  
  
"She's here!" Bria cried.  
  
"Finally," Biggs noted.  
  
"Tell her to land immediately," Mon Mothma instructed.  
  
The Falcon landed smoothly on Datooine. Bria and Winter raced up to foreign ship. Leia came down the ramp, "Leia!" Bria cried hugging her friend tightly, "Oh god we have been so worried!  
  
Leia squeezed her back, "Why? I told you that I would be here."  
  
Winter smiled at the two of them. Leia had certainly changed. "Leia."  
  
Leia detangled herself from Bria and hugged Winter, "I'm glad to see you again."  
  
"Me too," Winter told her.  
  
Leia asked, "What's the situation?"  
  
"We're all ready in the conference room, ready to go."  
  
Leia nodded, "I'll meet you guys in there, just give me a moment, will you?"  
  
Bria and Winter both nodded, "We'll let the other's know you're here."  
  
"Thanks, Winter."  
  
After they left Leia went back up the ramp and gathered her things, "Han?" She asked.  
  
Han and Chewie came around the corner, "Got your things?" Han asked.  
  
Leia nodded. Chewie embraced her tightly. Leia thought he was going to break her spine. She then embraced Han, "Well thanks," She handed Han money.  
  
"Leia I couldn't-" Han started to object.  
  
"Its for your debt."  
  
"What debt?"  
  
Leia laughed, "I know of your debt to Jabba the Hutt. It was the talk of the planet. Now try not to get anymore prices on your head."  
  
Han smiled, "Thanks I guess."  
  
Leia kissed his cheek, "Bye."  
  
Leia headed up to the conference room. Inside there was General Dondonna, Commander Bria Tharen, Pilots Wedge and Biggs, Mon Mothma, and Winter. Leia sat down and Mon Mothma smiled, "Well shall we begin?"  
  
There was a chorus of yeses and nods from the groups. Mon Mothma began, "We have learned that the Empire has constructed a new weapon called the Death Star. A weapon so horrible that it could wipe out an entire planet in one shot. It has a hyperdrive so it can move anywhere."  
  
Leia interrupted, "But where is the Empire getting the money? I remember Emperor Palpatine once commented on just how poor the Empire really was."  
  
Mon Mothma nodded, "But someone they have plenty of money and resources to build such a super weapon."  
  
"Something just isn't adding up. Just before Emperor Palpatine sent me on a mission here my father was sent to oversee the construction of this Death Star. I haven't spoken to him since but I can feel, though the Force, his frustration and his anger over it. Something just doesn't seem right. Constructing a ship with a hyperdrive is necessary and lately hasn't been as expensive as it used to be but the prices are still outrageous. To construct such a large space-station with hyperdrive power has to cost more than Cosecant's electric bills, at least."  
  
Winter nodded, "Viceroy Organa and myself believe that the Empire is now doing business with warlords and crime bosses."  
  
"Warlords and Crime bosses?" Leia asked.  
  
Winter sighed, "There has been a lot of secret communications between the Empire and some unknown sources."  
  
"That doesn't seem right either," Leia said, "Emperor Palpatine only uses people for a short amount of time but he would never risk his reputation by getting involved with such slick groups."  
  
Bria shrugged, "How else do you explain it?"  
  
"I'm not sure."  
  
Mon Mothma interrupted, "We have laid out a plan to capture the plans but Leia we need you as a distraction."  
  
Leia thought about this, "What kind of distraction?"  
  
"We know that its risky but you and your father both use the Force. We believe that if you show up with ground team to capture the plans that you will distract Lord Vader long enough for one of our inside men to slip Winter the plans, via ship communications."  
  
Leia shook her head, "No. My father will come straight for me and I will not battle him."  
  
"Do you believe your father would take your life?" Dondonna asked.  
  
"I don't know what to believe about my father any more, General. For the past two years I have seen things in a different life than I ever have before. My father is a different person to me now. I don't honestly know just what he is capable of."  
  
"I do," Mon Mothma injected, "He wouldn't dare strike you down. You are too much like your mother."  
  
Silence filled the Conference Room as everyone waited for Leia's decision, "I'll do it." 


	20. Chapter 20

1 Part two continued…  
  
  
  
Luke prepared his bags. Father and himself were leaving today for the Death Star, the Empire's new super weapon. Despite it all, he wished Leia was here to enjoy and savor this moment with him. But Leia was a traitor and he needed to accept that.  
  
Darth Vader entered Luke's quarters, "Are you ready?"  
  
Luke nodded, "I only wish-"  
  
"Luke, your sister is a traitor, you simply need to accept that. I know that its hard but that is the path that Leia has given for herself."  
  
Luke nodded and despite his better judgment he asked, "What about Mara?"  
  
"Palpatine assigned her to a mission."  
  
"Which is?"  
  
"I'm not sure," Vader answered honestly. "But as long as it doesn't concern you or your sister I don't give a-" Vader stopped suddenly.  
  
"My darling. Are you all right?" Amidala asked.  
  
"I don't give a damn how I am, are you all right?"  
  
Amidala placed his head in her lap, "I'm fine. That was a close call. Promise me you won't go near Palpatine again." Anakin couldn't promise that. He wouldn't promise that. "Ani! Promise me!"  
  
"I promise Amidala. I won't go near Palpatine or any of his goons again."  
  
Vader sucked in a breath. He hadn't listened of course. "Father?" Luke asked, "Father are you okay?"  
  
Vader nodded, as well as he could anyway, "I'm fine son. Come on, lets get out of here."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Bria tossed and turned in her sleep.  
  
"If I ever see you again, I'll shoot you!"  
  
"Han-"  
  
"You have my word on it!"  
  
"AAAHHH!" Bria got up. Drenched in her own sweat.  
  
Leia, who was on the bunk near her, jumped out of bed, "What!?"  
  
"Nothing, just, um... a nightmare."  
  
Leia got up and got Leia some strong Corellian Coffee, "Here. Now tell me about your nightmare."  
  
Bria grabbed a nearby cloth and wiped her forehead, "I was thinking about what I did to Han, you remember him don't you?"  
  
Do I ever, Leia thought, "What happened?"  
  
"I was hired by Jabba the Hutt to destroy the Ylesia spice mines."  
  
"Ylesia? You were a slave there right? And that's where you met this Han?"  
  
Bria nodded, "Well I met up with Han and his friend Lando. We um... got the spice and things but I tricked Han."  
  
Leia's surprise was clear, "You what!?" How could anyone ever do that Han? Granted, he was arrogant and often rude but underneath that he was as soft as a brand new blanket.  
  
"Yes, I did. I double-crossed him and took all their profits for the Alliance. At the time it was the only thing that mattered."  
  
"And now?"  
  
"The Alliance is still the most important thing, no matter what."  
  
"You don't regret your decision?"  
  
"For the most part, no," Bria said.  
  
Leia was frightened by the coldness in Bria's eyes. Leia's breathing quickened. Bria had loved Han, how could you do that to someone you love? What would Bria do to her if Leia got in her way of her goals? "Oh, god." Leia got up and got herself some heavy Corellian Coffee.  
  
"What?" Bria asked, innocently.  
  
Leia shook her head, "I just can't believe someone could be so cold. Han isn't the type of person to just let a betrayal go."  
  
"Han isn't?" Bria demanded.  
  
"I meant from what you told me about him he doesn't seem like the type of person to simply forget something like that."  
  
That seemed to satisfy her, "He isn't. He told me that if he ever saw me again he'd shoot me on sight."  
  
"I don't blame him."  
  
"What?" Bria asked, defensively, "You're supposed to be friend, you know."  
  
"I am your friend. I just don't understand. You said that you love him. How would you feel if your situations were reversed?"  
  
"I would understand his beliefs."  
  
Leia huffed, "yeah right," and she left Bria to consider her thoughts. 


	21. Chapter 21

1 Part two continued…  
  
  
  
Mara Jade glanced around the Imperial Quarters. Why was she here? She certainly didn't want to be. Palpatine had given her a new task, she was now the head of Imperial Security. She supposed though that since Leia was now at large, and with the Rebellion, normal security simply wouldn't work. "I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that she pays."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Leia stared around at the dead bodies. Men, Imperials, she had killed. Her breathing was harsh and raspy. She hadn't killed a man in years. Despite all the battles she had fought after her transition into being a Jedi she had never killed anyone.  
  
Bria steadied Leia, "Leia, we've done good. Winter has the plans. Your father and brother weren't here. Its a success."  
  
It was the last thing Leia heard before she blacked out.  
  
She awoke to the sounds of hyperdrive engines. Wedge was wiping her forehead with a wet cloth, "are you okay?"  
  
Groggily Leia asked, "What happened?"  
  
"How far back can you remember?" Wedge kindly asked.  
  
I remember arriving on the planet and striking at the Imperials and then- Oh god, and then I-I-I killed people."  
  
"Leia this is a war. Its all right. You killed each and every Imperial in defense, you didn't strike in offense or in anger. It was all to protect your life or another's."  
  
"But I should have refrained from killing until absolutely necessary."  
  
"Leia you did," Wedge said.  
  
"Wedge?" Bria's voice echoed on the speaker above his head.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"We're approaching Tatooine now."  
  
"Good, thanks."  
  
"Tatooine?" Leia asked, "Why are we going there?"  
  
"Bria wanted to take you to see Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi because of the way you panicked over killing the men."  
  
"Obi-Wan?" Leia whispered. It had been nearly two months since she had last seen her master, "I must admit I'm a tad surprised that Bria didn't want to book it back to Datooine and then move as fast as possible to Yavin Four."  
  
"Bria said that sometimes the Alliance can wait. The people you love are more important."  
  
"So my conversation with her did pay off."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Never mind."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Luke slammed his fist on the table, "What the hell do you mean Leia was there?"  
  
Moff Tarkin didn't budge at Luke's fit of anger, "A security camera revealed that your darling sister lead the strike against us."  
  
Luke gritted his teeth, "And now Leia and the rest of that pitiful band of fools have the Death Star plans."  
  
"I'm afraid so," Tarkin confessed.  
  
The door whooshed open and Lord Vader opened, "She certainly is slick. She was taught well."  
  
"Too well, " Luke snarled.  
  
Vader pointed a finger at his son, "Don't even think about it."  
  
"About what?"  
  
"Killing your sister."  
  
Luke was surprised. Honestly, the thought had never come to his mind. Despite her betrayal, he still loved her, and that would never change, "I wouldn't dare."  
  
"Good," Vader said.  
  
"But Lady Vader is still a problem, my Lord," Tarkin interrupted.  
  
Luke turned to the black chasm of space that lay before them. It had been mostly a quite day. He missed his sister. He missed the two of them swapping stories late into the night, their weekend dinners, he missed talking with her. He missed the way the two of the dueled, their practices. His sister would always be a part of him. But now he was just moving back and fort through his emotions. He honestly didn't know what to do.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Leia, Wedge, Bria, and Biggs raced up the Obi-Wan's hut. Their speeder had busted down and they had to walk up the sand dune. Immediately Leia had the feeling something was wrong. She burst into the hut, "Obi-" she stopped. Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru were there. They were both crying, "What's going on?"  
  
"Oh, Leia," Beru said, the tears bursting forth. She embraced her niece.  
  
"Aunt Beru tell me what's going on?"  
  
Owen stood up and placed his hands on his wife's shoulders, "Last week a plague swept through the planet. Very few contracted it. Obi-Wan was one of the few."  
  
"Was?" Leia asked, now she panicking.  
  
"He's still alive, but barely. We tried to contact you but we simply didn't know how." Owen offered, "I would go see him."  
  
Leia nodded and walked into Obi-Wan's bedroom. She grabbed a stool and sat next to his bed. Taking his hand she said, "Obi-Wan?"  
  
Obi-Wan's eyes flickered, "Leia," he whispered weakly. He was so pale. Paler than his beard, even.  
  
Leia's eyes welled with tears, "You're going to be all right."  
  
Obi-Wan tried to shake his head but he couldn't. He was too weak, "This is the end for me, young one."  
  
Leia shook her head hard, "No. I can help you. Beru!" she called. She had learned this trick from Mara and Luke had even used it once or twice. She just hoped that using it didn't mean she was evil.  
  
Beru came in, "Yes?"  
  
"Get me a basin. A large one." Beru didn't ask any questions she just went and retrieved one for her. "Thanks," Leia said, "Don't let anyone come in here for at least the next twelve hours."  
  
"Why?" Beru asked, "What are you going to do?"  
  
"I'm going to try to save my Master."  
  
Beru nodded, "Twelve hours."  
  
After she left. Leia opened up a vain in his wrist and whispered, "Don't jump or move on me, okay?" Obi-Wan didn't answer and Leia took her fore- finger and dipped the tip of her nail into his vain. Using all her concentration she filtered out deadly cells and slowly, one by one, she began to take them out.  
  
It would take all her strength. And she just hoped that she had it all.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"What exactly is she doing in there?" Owen asked Beru for about the hundredth time in the last five hours.  
  
"All she said was that she was going to try to save him," Beru offered, yet again.  
  
Bria was pacing, "This is taking so long!"  
  
"Bria if you want to go back to the Alliance then just take the ship and go!" Wedge cried. For the past three and half hours Bria and been going crazy over staying here.  
  
Biggs nodded, "I just can't believe how selfish you can be. The Alliance can function without us for a least a few days."  
  
Bria slammed the door on her way out.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The basin was full. Leia had taken every last contaminated cell out of her Master's body. Now came the hard part. Leia had spent the last five hours dipping and transferring. She was exhausted.  
  
Leia placed her hand on Obi-Wan's heart and concentrated with all her might. She just hoped she had enough strength left within her to save him without killing herself. 


	22. Chapter 22

1 Part two continued…  
  
  
  
Luke Skywalker glanced around, "Do you know who is fully responsible for this?"  
  
The Imperial Commander nodded, "We believe that a woman named Leia Skywalker, along with a team, surprised the Imperials who were in charge of the security above this planet. A traitor within our ship gave the Rebel our plans."  
  
"So I suppose I was sent here to find out that traitor," Luke mumbled.  
  
"I'm sorry, sir, what?"  
  
Luke looked up, "Nothing. Thank you, Commander, I will be in touch."  
  
The Imperial Commander bowed and then left Luke alone in the Conference room. Yet another traitor within the Empire. There seemed to be so many of them lately. Just so so many of them. Luke shook his head. It was time to finish up his investigation.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Leia Skywalker emerged from the bedroom looking exhausted. She would have fallen down completely had Wedge not been there to catch her and guide her to a couch. "I'm finished," she whispered, her voice extremely hoarse.  
  
Beru wrapped her arms around, "It'll be okay."  
  
"What exactly did you do?" Owen asked.  
  
"Its difficult to explain. He didn't want me too, after he realized what I was doing but there was nothing left in him to stop me."  
  
"Is he going to make it?" Beru asked, pushing Leia back just enough to look in her face  
  
Leia nodded, "He needs plenty more rest and lots of water."  
  
Owen nodded, "I'll go get some from the farm. I'll be back soon."  
  
Beru flashed her husband a smile. Owen couldn't stand Obi-Wan. She knew that he was doing this out of the love of his heart, "Thank you."  
  
Owen left and Wedge sat down on the floor and gripped Leia's hand, "I think the more important question is, are you going to be all right?"  
  
Leia nodded, "I just need to meditate and sleep a little."  
  
Wedge nodded, "Okay."  
  
"But not here. Lets leave."  
  
"What?" Biggs asked, entering the hut. He was carrying plenty of fresh food, hard to find in an area like this.  
  
Leia smiled at him. How had he known? Biggs offered her some and she took a small piece. "Aunt Beru?" She asked.  
  
"Yes Honey?"  
  
"Can you do me a huge favor?"  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"Could you make sure that Obi-Wan gets all the care he needs?"  
  
"Of course we will darling," Beru offered.  
  
"What about Uncle?"  
  
"He will too. He doesn't want to admit it but I think he's gotten over his hatred of Obi-Wan."  
  
"Good. Um... What happened to Bria?"  
  
"She left several hours ago," Biggs told her. He still couldn't believe that she would just up and leave like that. None of them had pinned her as the really selfish type, but she was.  
  
Leia knew the answer to her coming question, "Why?" Bria had left because the Rebellion was the most important thing to her. Not that Leia minded. At least not all that much.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Leia, Biggs, and Wedge arrived at the Rebel Base a few days later. Winter was all ready there. She race up to the trio. "I have been so worried about you guys! Where's Bria?"  
  
"You tell us," Biggs told her.  
  
Winter wrinkled her eyes, like she often did when she was thinking, "What's going on?"  
  
Leia took a deep breath and began, "After we completed our mission, which went very well, I sort of freaked out because I had killed people and that wasn't the Jedi way. Anyway I fainted and when I woke up several days later there we were landing on Tatooine. To make a long story short I went to visit Master Kenobi, who was ill. I preformed this healing process that I had learned on Corscant and Bria got restless and left."  
  
"How'd you guys get back?" Winter asked, "Did she take the ship?"  
  
Wedge nodded, his anger was as clear as day, "And left us behind. I told her to it, that we would find another way here, and I must admit I was surprised that she would."  
  
Winter made a huffing noise, "She is way to wrapped up in all of this. Even Mon Mothma or Bail would agree that family and friends come before the Alliance."  
  
Leia shrugged, "So what's the plan?"  
  
"They are still analyzing the data. All I know is that it is going to be very messy."  
  
Leia nodded, "Especially if Luke and my father on onboard the Death Star." Weather or not she liked it she was going to wind up confronting one or the another, or even both. 


	23. Chapter 23

1 Part Three  
  
  
  
Leia felt very ill at ease. The data for the Death Star had been analyzed and they had found a weak point in the system. She was feeling awfully sick. "You don't look so good," Wedge observed.  
  
"I don't feel so good. I know that my father and Luke will be involved and possibly on there."  
  
Wedge nodded and then gripped her arm, "It'll be okay."  
  
Leia shook her head hard, "No it won't be. I can't do it Wedge. I can't actually pull a weapon out against my brother or my father. I just can't do it."  
  
Wedge nodded, "I could never do that against my family either."  
  
She sighed, "I have such a paradox on my hands."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I've done everything in my power to get the Death Star Plans and now I cannot allow them to destroy it."  
  
The door whooshed open and Bail Organa entered. "Leia, well done."  
  
Leia smiled at the man who nearly raised her, "Thank you."  
  
"And I'm not just talking about the mission," Bail informed her, "I'm also talking about what you did to Kenobi. Excellent job."  
  
Leia nearly screamed in relief, "He's okay then?"  
  
"He is doing very well. However, your aunt tells me he is still a little weak in the legs and it may be a while before he is able to travel."  
  
"As long as he is okay. That's all that matters."  
  
Bail cleared his throat, "Not quite. Your father has just made a starting announcement."  
  
"About?"  
  
"We've all known for years that Darth Vader had children he simply never acknowledge them. Well now he's made it clear that Luke Skywalker is his apprentice and son."  
  
Leia felt the breath go out of her, "He's acknowledged Luke's existence?"  
  
Bail nodded, "I'm so sorry."  
  
"Oh god, what have I done?" Leia cried as she sunk to the floor.  
  
"I don't understand," Wedge admitted. "Why is it such a horrible thing to acknowledge Luke?"  
  
"Because now it puts him in harms way," Bail informed the Corellian. "Darth Vader, aside from the Emperor, is the most hated man in the galaxy at this point."  
  
Leia looked up at Bail with tear filled eyes, "I won't raise arms against my family, Bail. I won't do it."  
  
Bail knelt down beside her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "Leia please. We need your help. I need your help." Leia was confused. This was clearly noticeable in her face. Bail explained, "I am afraid that Alderaan may be your father's first target."  
  
Leia gave a small whimper, "No. NO! He couldn't!"  
  
Bail grasped both her shoulders, "Leia in all your time with the Alliance don't you think that the possibility is there?" Leia shook her head fiercely. "Leia stop denying the truth, you know that its true!"  
  
Leia cried out, almost in pain, "I can't Bail! I just can't."  
  
Bail whispered, "Leia your mother did. Your mother did everything in her power to stop your father and the Emperor. Look around you. All of this is because of her."  
  
Leia's lips trembled, "I cannot kill my own father. My own brother."  
  
The door whooshed open and Mon Mothma entered followed by Winter, "Bail its time."  
  
Winter bent down and helped Leia off the floor as Bail climbed to his feet. She hugged her newfound friend around the shoulders, "We NEED you Leia. The galaxy needs you."  
  
Leia nodded, "I will only protect you. I will not destroy them."  
  
Mon Mothma flashed Leia a smiled, "Protection is good enough." 


	24. Chapter 24

1 Part three continued…  
  
  
  
Luke stared around the conference room of the Death Star, "Father she will fight. I know her better than you. She WILL destroy us."  
  
The dark man standing next to him, didn't agree, "No. Your sister loves you too much. That was her downfall."  
  
"And is that mine?" Luke demanded.  
  
"No, Son, you are loyal to the end. Now go."  
  
Luke obeyed and left. Darth Vader ran his hands down on of the chairs, "Oh daughter. What have you become? Your mother's spirit is inside of you. I never would drive it out and I no longer see the need to do so. You are your mother's daughter and that I have to accept."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Leia climbed into her X-Wing. She pulled her head out a little, "Porkins! Have they found me an R2 Unit?"  
  
Porkins yelled back, "NO!"  
  
She looked down at Bail, "How am I supposed to fly?"  
  
Before he could answer a whirring noise interrupted them, "Leia may I introduce you to R2-D2. He will be your R2 unit."  
  
Leia looked down at the blue-domed droid, "Hey isn't he Winter's droid?"  
  
Bail shook his head, "He was your mother's. And C-3PO belonged to your father."  
  
Leia was stunned, "What?"  
  
"ALL UNITS REPORT TO YOUR SHIPS FOR TAKEOFF!" A booming voice called.  
  
"God speed Leia." Bail said and backed out of the hanger.  
  
This was it. She was about to head to head with her father, her brother, her friends, her family. She just hoped she had enough strength to get the job finished before it was too late.  
  
Leia eased the X-Wing into the air. She was nervous and scarred. Two emotions that were a little new to her. She spent the next two hours in hyperspace before the Death Star loomed before her.  
  
She felt, she KNEW, that her father was not onboard. But she could feel Luke's presence. It was so strong. "Oh Luke, I am so sorry. But I have to finish what our mother started.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Lord Skywalker, the Rebels are now within our view." An Imperial Commander informed Luke.  
  
"Thank you, Commander." Luke replied. He would feel Leia's presence. Father had refused to stay and so Vader had left. Suddenly Leia's voice filled his head, "Luke, I am so sorry."  
  
Luke felt angry and he yelled out at the stars, "Sorry! Leia how can you be sorry?"  
  
Leia's voice filled his head. He could tell she was sad, "Luke our mother started this Rebellion and I intend to fulfill her wishes of destroying the empire. My war is not with you. It is with the Empire."  
  
"Than your war is with me." Luke snarled, "Commander!"  
  
"Yes, Lord Skywalker?"  
  
"You may begin."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Leia stared out as hundreds of Ties filled the air. She spoke calming to the others, "The main center front and main center back are their biggest faults."  
  
"Copy that," Biggs called back. His voice was so even, so calm that it unnerved Leia.  
  
She cracked her neck and R2 whistled shrilly. She turned to her left and saw hundreds more Tie-Fighters come from the Death Star. Among them was Luke.  
  
Leia's eyes clouded up. There was no going back now. 


	25. Chapter 25

1 Part three continued…  
  
  
  
Darth Vader looked up at the sky. There was no going back now. He had abandoned the Empire. Well not completely. He simply couldn't raise arms against his child. There was no possible way he could. Suddenly something filled his being his heart raced and he spun around. There was his old master.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Leia! You've got one on your tale!" Biggs cried.  
  
"Don't hurt him!" Leia shrilled.  
  
"What!?" Wedge screamed, "Leia he's out for blood."  
  
"Don't kill him!" She screamed.  
  
"Do you guys mind, I'm trying to concentrate!" Another pilot yelled.  
  
"Sorry!" The three of the yelled back.  
  
Suddenly she heard some swearing in her head and whipped around to see Luke spiraling out of control, "LUKE!"  
  
"Leia, he'll be fine. He just has to land on the planet."  
  
"What did you do?" She cried back at Wedge.  
  
"I lightly tapped him and his shields went down. I don't understand what happened. I tried to spin him out of control."  
  
Leia slowly shook her head, "No Wedge. He dropped his shields."  
  
"Why?" Wedge asked.  
  
"Because he wants me to follow him," Leia returned back. And that was exactly what she was going to do.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Obi-Wan Kenobi."  
  
"Darth Vader."  
  
The man once known as Anakin pulled out his lightsaber, "Why are you here?"  
  
Obi-Wan held up his hands in peace, "I don't come for war. Only for peace."  
  
"You've never meant peace," Vader hissed.  
  
"No?" Obi-Wan asked, "Amidala trusted me with the care of her children and I have failed her. The only thing I could do, and have been doing is caring for them from afar."  
  
"And ruining everything."  
  
"What? Turing your children evil? That's not who you are Anakin. That's not who Amidala married, that's not her Shmi cared for, and that's not who Qui-Gon knew. And," Obi-Wan whispered, "That's not the boy I raised."  
  
Vader's hands shook as he put his lightsaber away, "You're right."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Leia pulled the X-Wing into a dive. And landed, smoothly, next to Luke's Tie-Fighter. She scrambled out and called, "Luke? You've got what you came for."  
  
Luke stepped out from behind the trees, "I wasn't sure that you'd follow me."  
  
Leia gave a shrug, "You're my brother."  
  
"Well you are no longer my sister."  
  
Leia huffed, "Mother never believed in the Empire and I know that Father no longer does."  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"Haven't you felt it? Obi-Wan is here. Of course what he's doing here I don't understand because only a few hours ago he was still very weak. But Father has returned to the light side."  
  
"You lie!"  
  
Leia shook her head, "No I don't and you know it." Feeling Luke's thoughts Leia said, "I will not fight you Luke."  
  
Luke drew out his lightsaber, "Than you will die and easy death! He yelled as he lunged at her."  
  
Leia had no choice but to defend herself.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Han Solo dropped his glass, "Bria?"  
  
"Han!" She cried, "I had to find you."  
  
Han glared at her, "Why so you can betray me once more?"  
  
She shook her head, "I picked up your trail a few days ago. That's why I left Leia, to come to you."  
  
"Leia?" Han's interest perked up.  
  
"One of my Rebel friends."  
  
Han was stunned. Bria knew Leia? That meant she knew where she was, "Leia Skywalker?"  
  
Bria was taken back and then nodded slowly, "Yes. How-how do you know her?"  
  
Before Han could answer several men came running into the cantina they were huffing so hard that all they could spit out was, "lightsabers, Rebels"  
  
Han grabbed his jacket and hurried out. Bria followed him, a little saddened. 


	26. Chapter 26

1 Part three continued…  
  
  
  
Obi-Wan and Anakin hurried over to the small clearing on the edge of town. They had both felt the twins' arrival and felt the anger surging from Luke. They arrived to see them battling. Luke was forcing blow after blow and Leia, while she was doing everything in her power to protect herself. It was easy to tell that she was becoming tired and was out of practice.  
  
Obi-Wan and Anakin forced all their concentration to pull the lightsabers way from them but neither of them would budge. Obi-Wan was just about to jump in and stop the fighting when two people skidded up to them. It was a man and a redhead. Suddenly Leia back flipped away from Luke just in time to dodge a hit but not in time to miss his blow to her stomach.  
  
Leia slumped to the ground and Obi-Wan heard the newcomer scream, "Leia!"  
  
Han rushed up to her and skidded on his knees as he stopped next to her. "Leia?" He whispered.  
  
"Han?" She whispered. She had gone as pale as a ghost.  
  
"Yes, Leia its me."  
  
"Han, I-I," she couldn't finish her sentence.  
  
Anakin watched fearfully as Leia began to slip away. No this couldn't be happening. No. No. No. His mind screamed over and over.  
  
Obi-Wan knelt next to Leia. "Leia we'll get you some help."  
  
Leia wanted to shake her head, "No. Its too-too late."  
  
"No, Leia I am not about to let you die! You're not dying do you here me?"  
  
Luke watched all of this. He had killed her. His sister was dying because of him.  
  
Han kissed her forehead, "Leia, I love you."  
  
Leia didn't answer as she sucked in her last breath.  
  
"NOOOOOOOO!!!!!" Luke cried as he sunk to his knees.  
  
"You bastard! You killed her!" Han said, jumping up and beginning to fly at Luke before an arm stopped him.  
  
"Don't," Obi-Wan's voice commanded, "It'll only make this worse."  
  
Anakin wasn't hearing any of this as he knelt next to his daughter's silent body. Only it wasn't silent. He placed two fingers on her neck. She still had a pulse. Anakin looked up at Obi-Wan, "She's not dead."  
  
"What?" Obi-Wan asked, confused.  
  
"She still has a pulse."  
  
Bria, who had remained silent through all of this, spoke up, "There's a woman in the village who may be able to help.  
  
Han looked at her as if he'd suddenly remembered Bria's presence. "Lets go, then."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Several hours had past. The Death Star was destroyed. Leia's friends, Biggs, Wedge, Winter, Bail, and Mon Mothma, had joined them. Bria had left the previous hour to find some peace in the nature. Her father was still pacing. Her aunt and uncle were on their way.  
  
Han looked up as a curtain shuffled and the old woman came back out. Han's voice sounded tried, even to him, "How is she?"  
  
Several pairs of eyes looked at the woman intently. The old woman cleared her throat, "She is very weak and I don't know if this will even work. I've managed to repair all her internal damage and replace several of the melted organs. However she has lost a lot of blood and she needs an immediate blood transfusion."  
  
"I'll give it all if I have to," Luke spoke up.  
  
The old woman looked away, "That's the problem. She's going to need it all."  
  
"So basically its one child or the other?" Obi-Wan cried out.  
  
"I'm afraid so."  
  
Han shook his head, "There are how many of us in here? We can all donate a little, if we have the right type that is."  
  
Anakin shook his head, "Won't work."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"They've inherited from their mother's mother a blood dysfunction."  
  
The older woman nodded, "Extremely rare."  
  
Han shook his head in frustration, "Isn't there something we can do?"  
  
The old woman shook her head, "Her brother can only give so much blood."  
  
Luke stepped forward, "I told you. I will give it all."  
  
Obi-Wan squeezed Luke's arm, "And what if it doesn't work? Do you want your father to lose all his children in one day?"  
  
"Unless you can find me several pints of negative HC blood with a chromosome disorder I suggest you all go in and say your final good-byes."  
  
Luke was nearly going crazy, "Look please tell me there is something I can do!"  
  
The woman shook her head, "I don't have the necessary equipment needed."  
  
Remembering the medical supplies he was smuggling Han asked, "What kind of supplies?"  
  
She laid out the list for him and Han nearly began doing cartwheels, "I have most of it."  
  
Winter doubled over in shock, "What?"  
  
Han nodded, "I probably shouldn't mention this right now but I'm a smuggler. I was smuggling these for, um…, some Hutts."  
  
Obi-Wan didn't seem surprised, "I thought you looked familiar."  
  
Han gave a small, offended, huff, "Can you make do with most of it?"  
  
"I can try, but no guarantees," the woman said.  
  
"Well what are we waiting for?" Bails asked, standing up, "lead the way." 


	27. Chapter 27

1 Part three continued…  
  
  
  
Leia's head rolled from side to side. She was barely awake. She knew, by the force, that she was hooked up to some blood machine to keep her living. She was so tired. She kept hearing voices. Cries of pain, cries of joy. She kept hearing things that there was no way she ever experienced. Am I dying? She wondered. Is this it?  
  
She remembered hearing Han's voice, "I love you." Was that a dream or had it been real? She heard the curtain move but she couldn't. She was too tried. She wanted to sleep, permanently.  
  
She heard a woman's voice, "You have some great friends. They've gone to get better help."  
  
Help? Leia wondered. How could she possibly be okay? Get better? Luke had stabbed her with his lightsaber. Or perhaps that had been a dream. But it all seemed so real. Lightsaber wounds were impossible to heal, weren't they?  
  
Images started flashing around her. Her childhood, her teenage years, Mara, Luke, her missions, Obi-Wan, her few minutes she had seen or spent with Han. Her mother's voice filled her ears, "Hang on, Darling. You will be all right. I love you."  
  
Leia slipped silently back into her dark rest.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Han, Anakin, Luke, Ben, Bail, Winter, Mon Mothma, and, once they met him at the ship, Chewbacca haled the medical equipment to the old lady's hut.  
  
The woman came out the door and stared in awe, "This is perfect. I need you all to leave for a few hours while I do this."  
  
"Why?" Han asked, suspiciously.  
  
"Just do it. It needs to be peaceful."  
  
Bail tilted his direction towards a diner, "Come on. I'll buy you all lunch." Though he knew that no one was really up to eating.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The old woman stared at Leia. She looked so familiar, somehow. She shook her head. It didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was getting her well. "Oh Honey you have a lot of people there who love you." She said as she began Leia's treatment.  
  
Creating identical blood was a tricky business. It had been very popular in the days of the Republic but outlawed the Empire came into power. She sighed and began the long process of healing.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Han Solo stared at the plate before him and then stated a question he'd been waiting to ask, "Okay for the last several hours we have been hanging out together and I still don't understand this story."  
  
Anakin launched in my saying, "I'm her father." Han simply stared at him with a stunned expression. Anakin continued, "Leia Skywalker is my daughter."  
  
"Lady Vader? I thought that was just a myth."  
  
Anakin scuffed, "Hardly."  
  
Han couldn't even speak, "So…what exactly does this mean?"  
  
"I'm not sure. But first I'll have to prove my innocence, as well as I can, to the galaxy."  
  
Bail gave his old friend a tight smile, "I'm sure that you'll be forgiven, in time, my friend, in time."  
  
Mara paced in impatience. Luke was gone from her life, forever. Nothing was going to change that. Ever. Not that she could blame him. Leia had been her friend and she had totally betrayed her by trying to kill her, not that she had ever gotten that chance.  
  
They had just received word that the Death Star had been destroyed and she knew that both Luke had Darth Vader had forsaken the Dark Side. The Emperor was not going to be pleased. Not at all.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Leia's eyes blinked open. She saw the caring, worried face of an old woman, "Where am I?"  
  
The old woman squeezed her hand, "You're alive."  
  
"Barely," Leia muttered, "Thank you. Where is everyone?"  
  
"I sent your family away. They are due back in a few minutes."  
  
"My family?"  
  
The older woman nodded, "Yes. Your brother, father, and a whole bunch of other people."  
  
"My father?" Leia asked stunned.  
  
"Yes, Anakin Skywalker. Err…. Darth Vader."  
  
Even in her weakened state Leia picked up on her words. "How do you know that my father was once Anakin Skywalker?"  
  
Fortunately for the woman the others arrived just then. She left the room to report to them that Leia was awake and they could go visit her, one by one. Bail Organa wanted to go first, if that was okay. Minutes later Bail came in, "Hi. How are you feeling?"  
  
Leia gave her old nemesis a smile, "I've been better. Why are you here?"  
  
"Because your mother would want me to be here."  
  
Mon Mothma poked her head in, "Bail you have a call from Alderaan."  
  
Bail nodded and squeezed Leia's hand, "Get better, promise?"  
  
"I promise."  
  
Bail gave her one last smile and walked back through the curtain. Mon Mothma reentered, "Well Leia you sure showed all of us how dedicated you were."  
  
Leia shook her head weakly as Mon Mothma sat down, "I wish I didn't have to fight Luke."  
  
Mon Mothma huffed, "You had no choice, darling. Luke is here."  
  
A dark cloud fell over Leia, "Probably to finish the job."  
  
Wedge stuck his head in, waved at Leia, and said, "Mon Mothma you've got someone out here nearly bouncing off the walls to see her."  
  
Mon Mothma's face exploded in a smile, "All right then."  
  
After see and Wedge left Leia wondered who it was. She didn't have to wait long, however, as he entered. "Han!"  
  
Han gave her a lopsided grin as he plopped down in the chair, "Hey."  
  
Leia was thrilled to see him, "I thought I was dreaming when I saw you."  
  
Han took her hand and shook his head, "Nope. I was there and I meant what I said when I told you I loved you."  
  
Leia's smile grew. She was still very weak but seeing Han defiantly perked her spirits. She barely knew Han but "I love you too."  
  
Han kissed her hand, "You're going to be okay."  
  
"Now that you're here I will be. Who else is here?"  
  
"Um…. Luke, Darth Vader I mean your Father, Wedge, Biggs, Bria, Mon Mothma, Bail Organa, and uh…. OH! Obi-Wan Kenobi."  
  
Leia's happy face fell into a shocked face, "What? How can he be here?"  
  
Han shrugged, "Don't know. Don't care. As long as he's here."  
  
As if on cue Obi-Wan entered, "I thought you might want to see me."  
  
"Obi-Wan." She whispered holding out her other hand.  
  
Obi-Wan took it and gently kissed here forehead, "I am so relieved that you are okay."  
  
Han smiled, "I'll let you two catch up." He kissed Leia and then left.  
  
"So now that I'm better you are going to reprimand me for being so stupid and dueling with my brother."  
  
Obi-Wan shook his head, "I am very proud of you…. and your actions. You did what anyone would have done. What I once did."  
  
If Leia hadn't been laying down she would have cocked her head in confusion, "What?"  
  
"I suppose you want to know the story of what happened between me and your father."  
  
"Yes, I do."  
  
"I suppose you are ready."  
  
After Obi-Wan finished his story Leia fell into a deep sleep. He left her sleeping and went out to join the others. Bria Tharen jumped up, "How is she?"  
  
"She is sleeping."  
  
"I want to see her." Anakin requested.  
  
The healer nodded, "Just don't disturb her."  
  
"We'll do." Anakin replied and entered Leia's room. He sat down next to her and squeezed her hand, "Oh, Daughter, your mother would be so proud."  
  
Was it his imagination or did Leia squeeze his hand back. Leia turned over in her sleep and muttered, "I love you too Dad."  
  
Luke entered, "Can I speak with her alone?"  
  
Anakin thought for a moment. "Yes."  
  
Anakin then left his son, despite his better judgment, alone with his twin. Luke placed a hand on her forehead. She would be okay. He stood there, "Leia I am so, so sorry."  
  
Leia again muttered in her sleep, "I'm sorry too, Luke."  
  
The healing process had begun. 


	28. Epilogue

1 Epilogue  
  
After Leia's health was fully returned all her questions were answered. They soon leard that Leia's healer was an old friend of Amidala's from the time when she was a Senator.  
  
Luke and Darth Vader had renounced the dark side and taken over the Republic. Currently they, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Jedi Master Yoda are rebuilding the Jedi Order.  
  
Mara Jade Skywalker was unwilling to completely give up her ties to the dark side until she learned that her Master had actually killed her parents. Currently her and Luke Skywalker are engaged to married.  
  
Bria, Wedge, and Biggs now head up the Republic Navy and Leia and Han have both forgiven Bria for her shortcomings.  
  
Bail Organa and Mon Mothma have recently become romantically involved, sending an uproar in the political world, and both head up the New Republic.  
  
At present Han and Leia are happily married and are awaiting the birth of their first child, a son to be named Anakin Obi-Wan Solo.  
  
  
  
THE END 


End file.
